[Hot Air] The rubber may hit the road soon in the Vladimir Putin/Xi Jinping bromance — assuming one exists at all. With his infantry getting ground into dust in Ukraine and his missile barrage doing nothing but fortifying Kyiv’s determination, the Russian dictator has begun looking for new ways to rescue his so-called "special military operation" and save what little face Putin has left.Will Xi Jinping jump onto Putin’s bandwagon with a military alliance? Only if he’s insane:
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday held a video conference during which the two leaders said they would seek to strengthen relations between their two countries.Reuters has more on Putin’s pitch, as well as background on it, and pointed out Xi’s lack of reciprocation:
Russia has sought to ramp up its political and military ties with its key ally Beijing since Moscow faces unprecedented Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine.
China, meanwhile, has not condemned Russia’s war in Ukraine. Beijing has maintained what it says is an "objective" and neutral position over the war and offered diplomatic backing to its strategic ally. ...
"We aim to strengthen cooperation between the armed forces of Russia and China," Putin told Xi, calling the Chinese leader a "dear friend."
