Putin praises 'dear friend' Xi in Beijing summit, discusses Middle East and Ukraine

President Vladimir Putin of Russia heaped praiseon Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday (Oct 18) on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) summit being held in Beijing.

On his second visitoutside the former Soviet Union since the Ukraine war, Putin took the opportunity to market Russia's much-touted Northern Sea Route (NSR)and invited global investments in the project he claims would deepen trade ties between East and West.

“As for the Northern Sea Route, Russia does not just offer its partners to actively use its transit potential, I will say more: we invite interested states to participate directly in its development, and we are ready to provide reliable ice breaker navigation, communication and supply,” Putin said.

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The NSR runs from Murmansk near Russia’s border with Norway eastwards to the Bering Strait near Alaska.

“Starting next year, navigation for ice-class cargo ships along the entire length of the Northern Sea Route will become year-round,” Putin announced.

Watch:Russian President Putin arrives in China to meet Xi Jinping

Putin referred to Xi as his "dear friend" and thanked him for bringing the world together and reviving the ancient Silk Road through the BRI project.

“Russia and China, like most countries of the world, share the desire for equal, mutually beneficial cooperation in order to achieve universal sustainable and long-term economic progress and social well-being, while respecting the diversity of civilisation and the right of each State to its own development model,” Putin said.

Biden-Xi meet

The two leaders earlier met on Tuesday (Oct 17) to kick off the BRI meeting.

Both leaders reportedly discussed the Middle East and Ukraine in the meeting, with Putin emphasising that common threats were pushing the two nations even closer.

Putin is amongst the representatives of 130 nations attending the forum, but he is all set to further strengthen his already strong partnership with Xi in the wake of new geopolitical challenges induced by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

As of now, both sides have refrained from sharing any details but it is expected that “special attention will be paid to international and regional issues,” according to a statement from the Kremlin.

Experts see this visit by Putin as more of a symbolic gesture and don’t expect any high-publicity deal. "Russia is aware that China doesn't want to sign any high publicity deals," Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center was quoted as saying by AFP.

Message from China

The BRI meeting comes at the height of the persistent tensions between US and China. Xi Jinping took the opportunity to warn the West against its decoupling efforts.

"We stand against unilateral sanctions, economic coercion, decoupling and supply chain disruption," Xi told more than 1,000 delegates gathered in an ornate conference room in the Great Hall of the People west of Tiananmen Square.

Jinping also lauded China's BRI programme, claiming it was acting as a bridge between continents and helping build infrastructure around the world.

Putin's warning to US

Putin onWednesday said in a press conference that US deliveries of long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine were a "mistake" that would create additional threats to Russian forces but would not significantly change the situation on the front.

"Firstly, this of course causes harm and creates an additional threat. Secondly, we will of course be able to repel these attacks. War is war," Putin said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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