Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday praised the “very high level” of navy drills within the Pacific as Moscow seeks nearer ties with China amid a stand-off with the West.
The shock drills introduced final week come as Chinese language Defence Minister Li Shangfu is in Russia on a go to which can final till Wednesday.
Putin obtained Chinese language chief Xi Jinping final month in Moscow for a summit displaying the nations’ united entrance in opposition to the West.
Throughout a gathering with Putin and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Sunday, Li hailed ties with Moscow, saying they “surpass the military-political alliances of the Cold War era”.
The workouts within the Pacific concerned over 25,000 Russian navy personnel, 167 warships and assist vessels, together with 12 submarines as properly as 89 plane and helicopters, Shoigu mentioned.
“The first stage of this surprise inspection did indeed take place at a very high level,” Putin mentioned throughout a televised assembly with Shoigu.
“Today we have clear priorities for the use of the armed forces and, above all, this concerns the Ukrainian direction and everything related to protecting our people in the Donbas” in japanese Ukraine, Putin mentioned.
Each Russia and China have expressed “concern” over NATO’s rising presence within the Asia-Pacific area.
