Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed Thursday to strengthen cooperation between their countries. Following their talks at the Kremlin, both leaders reaffirmed their intention to enhance ties across all sectors, particularly in military cooperation and coordinated efforts to counter Washington's dual containment policy targeting Moscow and Beijing.

According to Qatar News Agency, President Xi Jinping told Putin that the two nations must elevate cooperation to a new level and firmly resist U.S. influence. Xi further highlighted the need for Beijing and Moscow to solidify their foundations for cooperation and eliminate external interference. He added that Russia and China will work together to confront unilateralism and hegemonic practices.

For his part, President Putin stated that he would oversee all key aspects of Russia-China relations alongside Xi, aiming to boost trade and investment by 2030.

On Ukraine, both countries asserted that resolving the conflict requires addressing its root causes, referring to the need to prevent Kyiv from joining NATO.

Over the past two years, Putin and Xi have met dozens of times, forging a strategic partnership in February 2022, just weeks before Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine.