Need to strengthen military cooperation: Putin tells Xi Jinping

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin extended a bridge of cooperation towards Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday. He said that he wishes to strengthen the military cooperation between China and Russia to counter the Western union against them, Agence France-Presse reported.

Putin calls for the strengthening of political and military ties with China when the unprecedented Western sanctions have dampened Moscow's assault efforts on Ukraine to an extent.

For Beijing, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a sensitive issue. Xi's government had decided to take a neutral ground over the largest conflict Europe has witnessed since the Second World War. But Beijing had offered diplomatic support to its strategic ally, Russia.

In a video, Putin called Xi "Dear Friend" and said that they aim to strengthen the cooperation between the armed forces of Russia and China. He then lauded the efforts Moscow and Beijing make to counter the "unprecedented Western pressure and provocations", AFP quoted.

According to Putin, the importance of cooperation between Russia and China is growing in view of the context of growing geopolitical tensions. He said that both countries share the same view on the cause, course and logic of the transformation of the geopolitical landscape.

The West is seeking to avoid Russian oil and gas, but Putin has turned to the market in Asia.

Putin said Russia is one of the leading suppliers of oil to China. He said that he expects Xi to visit Russia in the spring next.