Putin and Xi mark WWII victory with unity against \u201cneo-Nazism\u201d as China backs Russia amid Ukraine war and US tensions.
\n Moscow
\nRussian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Kremlin on Thursday, thanking him for joining commemorations marking 80 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany.
\nPutin was drawing a direct link between that historic struggle and what he calls the modern threat of \u201cneo-Nazism\u201d amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
\nXi\u2019s high-profile visit comes as a diplomatic win for Putin, who has long framed his military campaign in Ukraine as a continuation of Russia\u2019s World War Two legacy.
\nIn remarks broadcast from a grand Kremlin hall, Putin said Russia and China \u201cfirmly stand guard over historical truth\u201d and are united in resisting \u201cmodern manifestations of neo-Nazism and militarism.\u201d
\nXi, greeted as a \u201cdear friend,\u201d walked across a red carpet to meet Putin before the two stood for the cameras and issued joint statements.
\nHe pledged Chinese cooperation to challenge \u201cunilateralism and bullying\u201d \u2014 a veiled criticism of U.S. influence \u2014 and called for a multipolar global order.
\n\u201cTogether, we will promote the correct view of World War Two history,\u201d Xi said, \u201cdefend the authority of the United Nations, and safeguard the rights and interests of China, Russia, and the vast majority of developing countries.\u201d
\nOver two dozen foreign leaders joined the May 8 celebrations in Moscow, but Xi\u2019s presence stood out amid growing East-West divisions. His visit comes as China and Russia deepen their \u201cno limits\u201d partnership, signed shortly before the Ukraine invasion in 2022.
\nUkraine and its allies have dismissed Russia\u2019s wartime narrative as disinformation. On Tuesday, Kyiv urged world governments not to send troops to Moscow\u2019s parade, warning such gestures undercut claimed neutrality in the conflict.
\nStill, China has remained a critical economic partner for Russia, purchasing large volumes of oil and gas and providing Moscow a lifeline under heavy Western sanctions.
\nThe anniversary \u2014 commemorating victory over fascism \u2014 is now doubling as a platform for Moscow and Beijing to reaffirm strategic alignment at a time of mounting geopolitical strain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Putin and Xi mark WWII victory with unity against \u201cneo-Nazism\u201d as China backs Russia amid Ukraine war and US tensions. Moscow Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Kremlin on Thursday, thanking him for joining commemorations marking 80 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany. Putin was drawing a direct link […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":477250,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-477240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n