Putin Hails Trust with ‘Old Friend' Xi
Russian President Vladimir Putin had warm words for “old friend” Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, describing their relationship in personal terms and dismissing the notion that the war in Ukraine had driven a Russian “pivot” toward the East Asian power.
The remarks came just over two weeks after his latest trip to Beijing along with Cabinet members and business leaders.
It was Putin’s 25th visit to China, and he has met Xi more than 40 times since the Chinese leader took office in 2013. The pair have also drawn attention for the affection they display toward one another-including the occasional embrace-earning their relationship the moniker “bromance.”
“I do have a good relationship with President Xi Jinping. He calls me ‘old friend,’ and I also call him that,” Putin said during a Q&A session at the 29th annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
“This is no exaggeration or figure of speech. We have developed a trusting relationship,” he said, per a translation provided by APT News.
Putin was responding to a question from Fu Hua, president and party secretary of China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, who asked how Beijing and Moscow had achieved their “high level of close cooperation.”
Russia’s Dependency
The two countries have aligned their diplomatic messaging on the world stage, presenting themselves as champions of a more multipolar order in contrast to what they portray as a chaotic U.S.-led hegemony.
China has also been indispensable in helping keep the Russian economy afloat in the four years since Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine.
Cross-border trade hit approximately $228 billion last year-more than 50 percent higher than prewar volumes. And China’s imports of discounted gas have helped offset Western sanctions over Ukraine and Europe’s move to wean itself off Russian energy.
Meanwhile, Chinese electronics, components, and other dual-use goods continue flow across the border-and support Russia‘s military industrial base, the U.S. and its allies in Europe say.
A Relationship 25 Years in the Making
Putin dismissed the notion Wednesday that the current strength of Beijing-Moscow ties was a product of “today, yesterday, or five years ago.” The foundation was laid in 2001 with the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, he said, an agreement Putin signed alongside then-Chinese leader Jiang Zemin.
During Putin’s most recent visit, Xi hailed a “new stage of greater achievements” in relations between their countries.
The two leaders issued a 10,000-word joint statement and signed dozens of agreements that-notably-did not include green light for Putin’s coveted long-delayed, 1,616-mile Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, which appears to be in limbo as negotiations on pricing drag on and China eyes other sources for its LNG.
The project would roughly double Russia’s pipeline gas exports to China at a time when analysts say Beijing is seeking to diversify its energy supplies, spurred by the nearly 100-day disruption to global energy markets triggered by the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
The East Asian nation became the top importer of Russian oil and gas, helping fill the void left by European customers.
Putin’s trip came just days after President Donald Trump’s own state visit, as the two countries sought to dial down tensions that peaked last year at the height of their trade war. During the trip, Trump lavished praise on Xi, calling him a “great leader.” Trump has invited Xi to visit Washington in September.
Newsweek reached out to China’s Foreign Ministry by email with a request for comment.
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This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 4:29 AM.