Putin Hails Defense Partnership with China

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MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Defence Minister Li Shang Fu held a meeting in Moscow on Sunday, with Putin praising the military cooperation between the two nations. Putin welcomed Li to Russia and expressed his satisfaction with the development of the relationship between the two countries, including in the economy, social, cultural, educational, and military sectors. The meeting was also attended by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Li's visit to Moscow was announced by Beijing last week, but the Chinese government made no mention of a meeting with Putin. The meeting with Putin comes just a month after Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Putin in Moscow. Russia and China have been strengthening their economic, political, and military ties since Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

The meeting between Putin and Li comes amid rising concerns about the presence of Chinese components in Russian weapons used in Ukraine. A senior official in Kyiv said on Friday that Ukrainian forces have found a growing number of Chinese components in Russian weapons used in Ukraine. However, China has denied sending any military equipment to Russia. The meeting between Putin and Li is expected to further solidify the military cooperation between Russia and China, which have declared a "no limits" partnership.

 (Courtesy: Reuters and Dawn.pk)