Friends or Foes? Putin and Xi Chat Up a Storm

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a friendly chat over the phone. They talked about how their countries are best buds, and nothing – not even politics or what's happening in the world – can change that. This phone call happened just a day after Donald Trump became the new U. S. president. Putin and Xi have been really close since Putin sent troops to Ukraine in 2022. China buys lots of Russian oil and gas, and they share important technologies too. Putin told Xi, "We both want a fair world where lots of countries have power, not just a few. And we want to keep Eurasia and the whole world safe. " Xi agreed, saying their teamwork helps make the world a better place. Trump and Xi had already talked on the phone, and Xi hoped for good ties with the U. S. too. Trump had talked about putting tariffs on China and other stuff, but he also said they could work together on some problems. Putin hadn't talked to Trump yet, but he liked that Trump wanted to chat with Russia. Putin thought Trump might want to make a peace deal with Ukraine, and he said Russia is ready to talk about it. But Putin also said they need to respect Russia's interests and find the real reasons for the crisis.