Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to hold talks in China, seemingly brushing off cracks appearing within the G7 summit.
In an ironic turn of events, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping recently confirmed a meeting in August and September, seemingly taking a jab at the so-called "rough edges" that emerged among the G7 leaders during their annual summit. Putin's senior advisor, Yuri Ushakov, spilled the beans on June 19.
The bilateral rendezvous will go down in Tianjin, China, during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit scheduled between Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, followed by a separate bilateral talk on Sept. 2. This reveal came from Ushakov as per state news agency TASS.
China has been a steadfast ally to Putin's Russia, offering a lifeline by helping Moscow bypass Western sanctions and becoming the chief supplier of dual-use goods propping up the Russian defense industry. Xi and Putin have shared a handshake before, meeting during the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow in May.
During their phone conversation, the duo also addressed the increasingly precarious situation in the Middle East. However, they also took a sideways swipe at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, suggesting his recent foreign excursions weren't his biggest successes.
Zelensky had planned to meet up with U.S. President Donald Trump during the G7 summit in Canada held in June 2019. The objective was to boost pressure on Russia to bring an end to the conflict. Trump, however, cut the summit short to attend to an escalating crisis in the Middle East, leaving Zelensky hanging.
The G7 leaders could not agree on a joint statement, with the U.S. pushing for toned-down language regarding Russia. Instead, the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a summary, stating the leaders backed Trump's efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine.
There were disputes over Ukraine and Russia sanctions, the Israel-Iran conflict, and the absence of a joint communiqué at the recent (June 2025) summit, as trump opposed stronger sanctions against Russia. Despite these disagreements, Zelensky left the summit with military aid pledges from Canada and new sanctions imposed on Russia's energy sector.
"Today, we have concrete decisions on increased military support, new tranches of aid funded by frozen Russian assets, and additional sanctions targeting what fuels Russia's war," Zelensky declared after the summit.
Zelensky also appealed to allies to press Trump to exert his influence and force an end to the conflict. He argued that diplomacy was currently in crisis, reinforcing the need for allies to intervene.
Historically, the June 2019 summit was fraught with trade tensions, climate change debates, and Iran's nuclear program. Trump also clashed with other leaders over tariffs, sparking discussions about re-admitting Russia to what was then the G8. For any details specific to the June 2019 summit, more context may be required.
- The meeting between Putin and Xi, despite the discord evident among G7 leaders, is set to take place during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in China, indicating a strengthening of their political ties amidst war-and-conflicts, particularly in the Middle East.
- Following the G7 summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a general news statement, declared that he had secured increased military support, new tranches of aid, and additional sanctions against Russia, aiming to exert pressure on Russia and bring an end to the conflict.
