On Friday, Russia gained China’s support in its standoff with the West over Ukraine, when Beijing agreed with Moscow that the US-led NATO military alliance should not accept new members.
Following a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing, when Putin praised the two countries’ “dignified friendship,” the call for NATO to halt growing was made.
Moscow and Beijing slammed the United States’ destructive role in global security in a lengthy policy document.
“The parties oppose the further expansion of NATO and call on the North Atlantic Alliance to abandon the ideological approaches of the Cold War era,” the document read, urging respect for the “sovereignty, security and interests of other countries.”
The call recalls Russian demands that have been at the core of weeks of intense negotiations between Moscow and the West, with a potential confrontation looming in the background.
Western leaders have accused Russia of stockpiling 100,000 troops on the frontiers of pro-Western Ukraine in preparation for an invasion, and have threatened to slam Moscow with crippling sanctions if it attacks.
On Friday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz became the latest European politician to plan a trip to the region, announcing he will visit Ukraine on February 14 and Russia the following day.
