President Putin says Russia, China do not form military alliance

President Putin and President Xi Jinping declared friendship and pledged closer ties, including in the military sphere, during their March 20-21 summit.

Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: TASS

“We are not creating any military alliance with China,” Putin said on state television. “Yes, we have cooperation in the military-technical sphere. We do not hide this. Everything is transparent, there are no secrets.”

In his televised speech, Mr Putin also dismissed suggestions that Russia's deepening ties with China in areas such as energy and finance meant Russia was becoming dependent on China, calling this the view of "jealous people".

“For decades, many people have wanted to turn China against the Soviet Union and Russia, and vice versa,” he said. “We understand the world we live in. We really value our shared relationships.”

Putin also accused the US and NATO of seeking to build a new global "axis" that he said had some similarities to the alliance between Nazi Germany, Italy and Japan during World War II.

Mr Putin named Australia, New Zealand and South Korea as countries in line to join a “global NATO” and mentioned a defence deal signed by the UK and Japan earlier this year.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited Japan and South Korea this year, stressing the importance of the Atlantic alliance working closely with partners in the Indo- Pacific region.

Mr Putin's comments came a day after he announced that Russia would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus , in a clear warning to NATO over its military support for Ukraine.

Bui Huy (according to TASS, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tong-thong-putin-noi-nga-trung-quoc-khong-tao-ra-lien-minh-quan-su-post240973.html