Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned “attempts to distort” World War II history while pledging to deepen strategic collaboration with China on the eve of a state visit to the country.
During his four-day trip, described by the Kremlin as “absolutely unprecedented”, Putin is expected to join regional leaders for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin on Sunday, before holding bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Putin will be the guest of honour at China’s World War II Victory Day parade in Tiananmen Square and will be seated to the right of Xi, according to the Kremlin.
In an interview with Xinhua published on Saturday, Putin reaffirmed the close cooperation between Russia and China, which is expected to be high on the agenda during his talks with Xi.
“I look forward to in-depth discussions with President Xi Jinping on all aspects of our bilateral agenda, including political and security cooperation, as well as economic, cultural and humanitarian ties. And, as always, we will exchange views on pressing regional and international issues,” Putin told the Chinese state news agency.
Russia and China had taken a “common stand against discriminatory sanctions”, Putin added, in a likely reference to Western trade restrictions and economic penalties imposed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
