Putin meets Xi in Beijing amid Ukraine tensions
One AmericaSep 09, 2021
Russia and China Denounce NATO Expansion
Image copyright: Sputnik/Aleksey Druzhinin/Kremlin [via PBS]
The Facts
Russian leader Vladimir Putin met with China's Xi Jinping at a summit in Beijing on the eve of the 2022 Winter Olympics.
In a joint statement, they presented a unified front against the further expansion of NATO and affirmed the view that Taiwan is part of China.
The Spin
Narrative A
The prospect of Ukraine joining NATO poses an unnecessary threat to Russian security. US national security depends on NATO remaining a strong bulwark against Russian aggression in Western Europe. Inviting Ukraine to the alliance provides little benefit and may go a long way towards undermining peace in the region.
Narrative B
Rather than use the opportunity to lower tensions on Ukraine, Putin and Xi are solidifying an axis of autocratic states that intend to undermine the democratic world order in pursuit of economic gains and raw power politics.