Putin, Xi speak at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum
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- In the speech, Putin defended the Russian military operation in Ukraine and condemned the economic “blitzkrieg” against his country. At the Q&A session, the president criticized U.S. military actions in Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and Syria. When questioned about Ukraine’s EU candidacy, Putin said Russia was not concerned about it “because the EU is not a military organization like NATO.”
- Chinese President Xi Jinping attended (Ch/En) the event via a video link, being one of four state leaders who appeared at the Forum, together with Putin, Tokayev, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Xi’s remarks mainly focused on economic cooperation while mentioning the headwinds of economic globalization and his opposition to “attempts at decoupling, supply disruption, unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure.”
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