Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday thanked his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for joining the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the “sacred” victory over Adolf Hitler in World War II, adding that the two countries now stand together against “neo-Nazism.”
Xi’s presence at the commemoration of the end of the war is significant for the Russian leader, who has portrayed the aggression against Ukraine from the beginning as a fight against neo-Nazis.
Ukraine and its allies reject this as a grotesque lie, accusing Moscow of waging an imperialist offensive.
“The victory over fascism, achieved with enormous losses, is of lasting significance,” Putin told Xi.
“Together with our Chinese friends, we firmly guard historical truth, protect the memory of the events of the war years, and oppose contemporary manifestations of neo-Nazism and militarism.”
Xi said the two countries, as world powers and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, would work together to counter unilateralism and hegemony, referring to the United States.
“Faced with the international trend of unilateralism and hegemonic violent behavior, China will work with Russia to shoulder the special responsibilities of major world powers,” Xi told his Russian counterpart.
The Chinese president said Beijing and Moscow would “jointly promote a correct view of the history of the World War, safeguard the authority and status of the United Nations, resolutely defend the rights and interests of China, Russia and the vast majority of developing countries, and work to promote a just, orderly, multipolar and inclusive economic globalization.”
The two leaders spoke after meeting on the red carpet of one of the Kremlin’s most lavish halls, shaking hands in front of the cameras and calling each other “dear friend.”
Xi is the most powerful of dozens of foreign leaders who have arrived in Moscow this week to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
The commemoration comes at a crucial time for the war in Ukraine, with both Moscow and Kiev under pressure from the United States to reach a peace deal.
Xi, the leader of a country locked in a trade war with the United States, is expected to sign a series of agreements to deepen the “borderless” strategic partnership that Russia and China established in 2022, less than three weeks before Putin sent troops into Ukraine.
China is Russia’s largest trading partner and has bailed out its economy, battered by Western sanctions. It is also the largest buyer of Russian oil and gas.
