Amid unprecedented Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over Russia’s war on Ukraine, Putin hopes to boost political and military cooperation with China.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a touchy subject for China.
Beijing seeks to position itself as neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war, but has offered diplomatic support to its strategic ally Russia.
“We try to strengthen cooperation between the armed forces of Russia and China,” Putin said during the video call.
The Kremlin host also praised the efforts of Moscow and Beijing to counter “unprecedented pressure and provocations from the West”.
“In the context of intensifying geopolitical tensions, the importance of the Russia-China strategic partnership as a stabilizing factor is growing,” Putin said.
“We share the same views on the reasons, course and rationale for the current transformation of the global geopolitical landscape,” he added.
As the West seeks to end its dependence on Russian oil and gas, Putin looks to Asia for energy markets.
“In terms of oil exports to China, Russia has become one of the leaders,” Putin said.
As the Russian leader added, he hopes Xi will come to Moscow for a state visit in the spring.
