We will resist: Putin affirms united China-Russia front against sanctions

Russian leader says the two countries are creating mechanisms to offset the effects of Western sanctions

In articles and interviews for Chinese state media Vladimir Putin says the two countries have convergent positions on most issues

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Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 1:19pm, 3 Feb 2022Updated: 9:05pm, 3 Feb 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin said China and Russia would resist Western sanctions pressure at “every opportunity”, on the eve of his arrival in Beijing for the Winter Games.

In remarks given to Chinese state media ahead of his arrival, Putin also said the two nations “concur or are really close” on most international issues, and their ties are “not influenced” by ideology.

“We are consistently expanding settlements in national currencies and creating mechanisms to offset the negative impact of unilateral sanctions,” he said, in an article carrying his byline which was published by state news agency Xinhua on Thursday.

Putin did not the name any third country, but Moscow and Beijing have been standing together on a range of issues, from the diplomatic boycott of the Games by the US and some of its allies, to Russian tensions with Washington and Nato over Ukraine.

In his article, Putin highlighted last year’s 20th anniversary of China and Russia’s friendship treaty, saying their cooperation is on an equal basis and free from “political and ideological circumstances”.

“Foreign policy coordination between Russia and China is based on close and coinciding approaches to solving global and regional issues,” he wrote.