Putin to Meet With Xi Jinping Today in Uzbekistan

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is set to meet with Xi Jinping, the leader of China, on Thursday in Uzbekistan, a summit meant to signal the strength of the relationship between the two authoritarian leaders at a time of increasing animosity with the West and challenges to their agendas.

Mr. Putin, who has become more isolated by the United States and its allies over his invasion of Ukraine, has faced a spate of recent losses on the battlefield. Mr. Xi, who is under pressure as the country’s zero-Covid policy hurts the economy, needs to project power in the weeks before a meeting of the country’s Communist Party leadership.

The two will meet at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a multilateral, security-focused organization that includes China, Russia, India, Pakistan and four Central Asian nations.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/15/world/asia/putin-xi-meeting.html