Moscow and Beijing eye closer coordination as their foreign ministers discuss Ukraine and U.S. tensions

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi agreed in Beijing on Sunday to tighten coordination in forums from the United Nations to the G20, while reviewing prospects for ending the war in Ukraine and managing strained ties with the United States.

Meeting on the eve of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation foreign-ministers’ gathering, the two men “emphasised the importance of strengthening close coordination” across multilateral bodies, Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Lavrov and Wang also “discussed relations with the United States and prospects for resolving the Ukrainian crisis,” according to the ministry, which gave no details of any peace initiative.

Moscow and Beijing declared a “no-limits” partnership in February 2022, just days before President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Washington brands China its top strategic competitor and Russia its leading nation-state threat, a stance both governments dismiss as Cold-War thinking. Beijing has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion, instead calling for a ceasefire and talks while expanding trade that now covers more than 90 % of Russian oil exports, according to Chinese customs data.

Lavrov arrived in Beijing from North Korea, where Pyongyang last week pledged further support for Russia’s war effort. He is expected to press fellow SCO members—who include India and several Central Asian states—to back Moscow’s position on Ukraine when the bloc’s leaders meet later this year.

Analysts say the foreign-minister meeting highlights a deepening geopolitical alignment that could complicate Western efforts to isolate Russia.

“Beijing gains leverage over both Moscow and Washington by keeping the partnership warm, while the Kremlin gains diplomatic cover,” said Alexander Gabuev of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.

The pair are likely to cross paths again at the BRICS summit in Kazan in October and at November’s G20 leaders’ meeting in Rio de Janeiro, where Western diplomats hope China might still press Russia to accept a negotiated settlement.

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