Putin and Xi reaffirm strategic partnership at BRICS

At the opening of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed their strategic partnership, emphasizing its role as a stabilizing force in what they describe as a chaotic international landscape. Xi noted that the world is experiencing unprecedented changes, while expressing confidence in the enduring friendship between China and Russia.

The meeting follows their May pledge for a "new era" of partnership between the two nations, positioning themselves as counterweights to US global influence. Both leaders criticized what they view as Western hegemony, with their alliance increasingly centered on shared geopolitical interests amid tensions with the United States.

Putin, addressing Xi as his "dear friend," emphasized that Russian-Chinese cooperation serves as a main stabilizing factor in world affairs. He expressed their joint commitment to enhancing coordination on multilateral platforms to ensure global security and what they term a "just world order."

Xi highlighted BRICS' significance as a crucial platform for emerging market countries and developing nations, promoting what he described as "equal and orderly global multipolarity" and inclusive economic globalization.

The summit takes place against a backdrop of heightened international tensions, with Russia engaged in the Ukraine conflict and China facing US efforts to counter its growing influence. Both nations have pushed back against what they perceive as Western dominance, while the US administration under President Biden has labeled China as its biggest competitor and Russia as its primary nation-state threat.

The meeting underscores the deepening alignment between Moscow and Beijing, as both countries seek to challenge what they view as US-led global order, despite Biden's critical characterizations of both leaders.