WAR AND PEACE
‘We’re PEACEMAKERS’, deranged Putin & Xi say despite Ukraine slaughter & Taiwan crisis as despots hold ‘Evil Axis’ talks
Putin has clung to China as an ally after being stung by hundreds of sanctions from the West over his illegal war
DELUDED Vladimir Putin crowed about his supposed wish for "peace" as he cosied up to ally Xi Jinping today.
It comes despite the tyrant launching a fresh offensive in Ukraine just days ago as the bloodshed continues two years into the war he started.
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The Russian president has jetted to Beijing for a two-day visit for a chilling summit with his Chinese counterpart as he pushes forward a new blitz in the Kharkiv region.
Putin, 71, and Xi, 70, declared a "no limits" relationship in 2022 - just days before the dictator invaded Ukraine.
He has continued to cosy up to Xi and cling to China as an ally after being stung by hundreds of sanctions from the West over his illegal war.
Putin has used Xi as a lifeline, with Russia becoming increasingly economically dependent on China as Western sanctions cut its access to much of the international trading system.
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Following his dawn arrival, Putin was greeted by Xi with full military honours at the Great Hall of the People.
The pair were pictured strutting along a red carpet on what marks Putin's first international visit since he began his unprecedented fifth presidential term following a sham election.
Xi said the two countries were furthering their relationship as good neighbours, good friends, and good partners, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
His remarks came as a haunting echo of their commitment to the "no limits" relationship they signed in 2022.
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Xi today hailed the "75 years of persistent accumulation of ever-lasting friendship and all-round cooperation" between Russia and China.
US rushing arms to Ukraine & Zelensky bunkers down amid Putin’s 500k-strong advance
In talks described as "warm and comradely" by Putin, the pair also signed a joint statement confirming they will deepen the strategic partnership of the two countries.
During their meeting today, Putin thanked Xi for his apparent efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
The tyrant talked up his supposed wish for a "peaceful" solution in Ukraine - despite launching a fresh offensive in the Kharkiv region and forcing almost 8,000 people to flee their homes.
More than half a million Russian troops have swarmed the frontline in the most significant border incursion since the full-scale invasion began.
During talks today, Xi said China and Russia had agreed on a "political solution" to the war in Ukraine.
But despite both leaders insisting the were seeking an end to the war, neither offered any specifics on how.
Xi said: "China's position on this issue has been clear and consistent, including adherence to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
"China hopes to see the early restoration of peace and stability in Europe."
Putin said he would inform the Chinese leader in detail about the situation in Ukraine and said: "We are grateful for the initiative of our Chinese colleagues and friends to regulate the situation."
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Putin & Xi's 'no limits' friendship
JUST before Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, he and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping declared a 'no limits' friendship.
And today the two leaders signed a joint statement on deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between their two nations on their 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties,
Xi said China and Russia will continue to uphold a position of non-alliance and non-confrontation.
Thursday's meeting was yet another affirmation of the friendly no limits relationship they signed in 2022.
Since then, Russia has become increasingly economically dependent on China as Western sanctions cut its access to much of the international trading system.
Chi'nas increased trade with Russia, totalling $240 billion last year, has helped the country mitigate some of the worst blowback from sanctions.
Moscow has diverted the bulk of its energy exports to China and relying on Chinese companies for importing high-tech components for Russian military industries to circumvent Western sanctions.
China claims to have a neutral position in the war - but has back Moscow's contentions that Russia was provoked into attacking Ukraine by the West.
Putin has blamed the West for the failure of negotiations in the opening weeks of the war and praised China's peace plan for Ukraine that would allow Moscow to cement its territorial gains.
It comes as China has been slammed for its support of Putin's war as the dictator oversees a fresh brutal offensive in Kharkiv.
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called out Beijing for supplying Moscow with nonlethal aid.
He said when he visited Beijing, he saw that the “overwhelming majority” of machine tools and microelectronic chips for Russia come from Chinese sources.
Meanwhile, Xi's deranged gloat of wanting peace comes despite the despot eyeing up a potential invasion of Taiwan
China last year offered a broad plan for peace outlining general principles for ending the war in Ukraine.
Beijing's lurking presence around Taiwan has ramped up in recent months, as Xi's enormous army taunts the islands with invasion rehearsals.
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Beijing considers the self-governing island its own domain - and has vowed to take Taiwan by force if need be.
Taiwan, however, insists it is an independent nation after splitting from mainland China in 1949.
Latest on the war in Ukraine
RUSSIA has amassed half a million troops and tanks and launched a major new ground offensive on northeastern Ukraine on Friday, seizing miles on ground quickly.
The blitz, said to be the first stage of Russia’s summer offensive, is designed to stretch Ukraine’s already outnumbered defenders.
Moscow has claimed its forces had pushed deeper into the Kharkiv region and captured the symbolic town of Robotyne - one of the only prizes of Ukraine's muted summer counteroffensive.
Kyiv said the Russian push appeared to have run out of steam last night — but, in the face of Putin’s 500,000-strong force, warned that could change quickly.
It also said Russia has suffered record losses with 1,740 reportedly killed in a single day over the weekend as its troops are thrown into the meatgrinder assaults.
UK defence secretary Grant Shapps said the world is taking its "eye off the ball" after the recent Russian attacks.
Thousands of Ukrainian people have also fled their homes to escape Russia's aerial bombardment.
As children have been seen going to school in underground, missile proof bunkers in the heart of war-torn Ukraine.
Russia stepped up attacks on Kharkiv region in March targeting energy infrastructure and settlements with constant airstrikes in what analysts predicted were preparations for a new offensive.
The city of Kharkiv, located on the eastern front only 30 miles from the Russian border, was the prime target of Russia's aerial bombardment.
Its mayor had warned the West that it risked being turned into a "second Aleppo" - the Syrian city which heavy Russian bombing helped to decimate a decade ago.
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