Putin, Xi discuss their close ties in chat after Trump’s inauguration

Putin and Xi discuss close ties, global order, and potential U.S. contacts, emphasizing mutual respect and cooperation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on Tuesday (January 21, 2025) with Chinese President Xi Jinping and emphasized their close ties a day after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th U.S. President.

The two leaders discussed their prospective contacts with Mr. Trump's administration during the video call that lasted more than one-and-a-half hours, the Kremlin said.

They have developed strong, personal links that brought their relations even closer after Mr. Putin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022. China has become a major Russian oil and gas customer and a source of key technologies amid sweeping Western sanctions on Moscow.

In the call with Mr. Xi, Mr. Putin emphasised that Russia-China relations are based on shared interests, equality and mutual benefits, noting they “don’t depend on internal political factors and the current international environment.”

“We jointly support the development of a more just, multipolar global order, and work to ensure indivisible security in Eurasia and the world as a whole,” Mr. Putin told Mr. Xi in remarks carried by Russian state TV. “Joint efforts by Russia and China play an important stabilizing role in global affairs.”

Mr. Xi similarly praised their close cooperation, expressing his readiness to work together with Mr. Putin to “lead China-Russia relations to a higher level, to cope with the uncertainty of the external environment with the stability and resilience of China-Russia relations,” and to “safeguard international fairness and justice.”

He emphasised that Russia and China should “continue to deepen strategic cooperation, firmly support each other, and safeguard the legitimate interests of the two countries.”