Putin and Xi Jinping close ranks against Trump and NATO

MoscowVladimir Putin and Xi Jinping close ranks and stand up to Donald Trump amid the trade war unleashed by the US president. The leaders of Russia and China met in Moscow for a bilateral summit to which the Kremlin wanted to give maximum solemnity. The Chinese president is the most special guest attending the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Red Army's victory over the Nazis in World War II.

Precisely the triumph over Nazism has served as a metaphor for the current challenges. On Wednesday, Xi Jinping published an article in Rossyskaya Gazeta, the Russian government newspaper, where he emphasized that both countries had defeated "arrogant fascist forces" and that "eighty years later, unilateralism, hegemony, and bullying are extremely harmful," a clear reference to the United States. Before the meeting, he reiterated this idea and assured that China and Russia "will work together to counter them."

Putin added that both countries are united against "neo-Nazism," in an attempt to involve the Chinese president in the Russian narrative that equates Ukrainians with Nazis. "Together with our Chinese friends, we firmly uphold the historical truth, protect the memory of the events of the war years, and counter modern manifestations of neo-Nazism and militarism," the Russian president stated.

This mention of "militarism" is an indirect allusion to Japan, which has condemned the war in Ukraine from the beginning. Xi Jinping hammered the point home by saying that "the Japanese authorities should learn from their history and distance themselves from militarism."

The two leaders also signed a joint statement denouncing NATO expansion, while avoiding any direct mention of it. "One of the key strategic risks that urgently needs to be addressed is the highly destabilizing expansion of military alliances and coalitions by some nuclear states to the borders of other nuclear states," the statement reads, while also warning against the delivery of missiles to Ukraine and the proposed shield.

Declaration against tariffs

In another document, they also criticize the negative impact of Trump's tariffs. "The parties draw attention to the growing risk of fragmentation in global trade, the rise of discriminatory measures and unfair trade barriers," Xi Jinping and Putin write. According to the Kremlin leader, amid a "difficult geopolitical situation and global uncertainty," the relationship between Russia and China is "the greatest stabilizing factor internationally." Thus, the hopes held by some American circles that the rapprochement between Trump and Putin could drive a wedge between Moscow and Beijing are completely dashed.

Furthermore, both presidents have approved several bilateral agreements to "further deepen relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction in the new era." China has been Russia's main economic supporter since the start of the invasion, and for this reason, Putin believes the alliance between the two countries has reached "the highest level in history."

Regarding the war in Ukraine, both sides expressed their conviction that to achieve a "sustainable" resolution to the conflict, it is necessary to "eliminate its fundamental causes," the phrase the Kremlin uses to defend its maximum peace conditions. Xi took the opportunity to emphasize Russia's support for Beijing's claims to Taiwan. "Russia has repeatedly reiterated that it adheres to the one-China principle," the Chinese leader wrote.

Zelensky respects the truce

One of Putin's main concerns regarding the arrival of numerous world leaders in Moscow for the Victory Day military parade this Friday, including Xi Jinping, was that Volodymyr Zelensky would take advantage of the situation to attack the city with drones. Hence, the Russian president proposed a unilateral three-day truce coinciding with the May 9 events. Initially, the Ukrainian leader had rejected the proposal and, in fact, has not publicly complied with it, but the reality is that last night was the first night of the week in which Ukraine has not launched drones into Russian territory.

Sources from the Ukrainian Armed Forces assure the media Suspilne Although Kiev has not officially joined the ceasefire, they received orders to only respond in the event of a Russian attack, as during the Easter truce. However, both sides have already accused each other of repeatedly breaking the ceasefire. On the Ukrainian side, Foreign Minister Andrii Sibiha has reported 734 violations by the Russian army and called the initiative a "farce," while on the Russian side, the Ministry of Defense has reported 448 violations by Ukrainian troops.