Kremlin says Putin, Xi talks to highlight ‘aggressive’ US, NATO rhetoric

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping will discuss “aggressive” language from the U.S. and NATO during their virtual meeting later this week, according to the Kremlin.

“The situation in international affairs, especially on the European continent, is very, very tense right now and requires discussion between allies,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, according to a Reuters report. “We see very, very aggressive rhetoric on the NATO and U.S. side, and this requires discussion between us and the Chinese.”

Peskov added that the two leaders will also discuss matters regarding energy, trade and investment.

When the meeting was announced earlier this week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Putin and Xi would be discussing “views on major international and regional issues of common concern,” without specifying certain issues.

This meeting takes place as both countries face increased outcry from the international community, Russia for its military presence at the Ukraine border and China for its array of alleged human rights violations, particularly against the Uyghur ethnic minority in its western Xinjiang region.

Putin’s virtual meeting with Xi comes just one week after he met with President Biden. During their virtual summit, the White House said that Biden warned Putin against a possible invasion of Ukraine and called for de-escalation and a return to diplomacy.