Russian officials on Monday criticised remarks made by French President Emmanuel Macron that Moscow was becoming subordinate to China and said Western nations should get used to a reality in which Moscow and Beijing had close ties.
The Kremlin’s isolation as a result of its invasion of Ukraine more than 14 months ago was the focus of the Russian critique of Macron’s interview with the Paris daily l’Opinion.
The decision by Sweden and Finland to join NATO was prompted by Russia, which has de facto begun a type of vasallization with China and lost access to the Baltic Sea, which was crucial to it, according to Macron, who was quoted in the daily.
“Two years ago, this was unimaginable.”
The controversy seems to centre on conversations between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in March in Moscow, where they declared they were forging “a new era” of relations and extending their strategic alliance.
The relationship between Russia and China, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, is that of a strategic partner and has nothing to do with dependence.
Alexander Grushko, the deputy foreign minister of Russia, claimed that Moscow’s improved ties with China and the resulting changes to the global order had caused Paris to become concerned.
The emergence of a truly multilateral system of international relations, one that includes multiple distinct independent centres, particularly Russia and China, appears to be the West’s greatest concern, according to Grushko, who posted a statement on the ministry website.
“In this changing global environment, it is inevitable that E. Macron and other Western leaders will have to accept the existence of close, equitable, and respectful ties between Moscow and Beijing.”
