Putin and Xi rebuke US and vow to strengthen ties

President Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping, the leader of China, issued a joint rebuke to Washington on Thursday, a day before celebrations in Moscow to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.

The leaders held talks at the Kremlin, part of a state visit that Moscow organized for Xi before his attendance alongside other foreign leaders Friday at a military parade in Red Square.

In a joint statement issued after their talks, Putin and Xi rejected what they described as Washington’s attempt to contain them. They vowed to “increase interaction and strengthen cooperation” to counter such U.S. efforts.

Putin and Xi are grappling with the unpredictability of President Donald Trump — the Russian president in talks over Ukraine and the Chinese leader in a bruising trade war. Each has sought to present their countries as alternative world powers looking to bring about what they call a more equal, multipolar world in the face of U.S. hegemony.

Part of their message Thursday seemed to be that they would stand together, even as Trump embraces Putin but pressures Xi.

Trump has employed some of the same nationalist grievance politics and disinformation strategies that Putin and Xi have used to cement their power at home but has failed to reach a deal with either leader since returning to the White House.

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