Xi visit to have no impact on India-Russia ties: Russian envoy

New Delhi [India], March 23 (ANI): Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov on Thursday refuted claims by media experts that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Russia will harm Indo-Russian strategic ties.

He said in a tweet that there is a lot of analysis making various claims about Xi Jinping’s Russia visit. Indian experts say that Russia-China ties will affect Russia-India strategic alignment. The Russian envoy seemed to shrug it off calling it “wishful thinking”.

“Profusion of analysis these days of the outcomes of Xi Jinping’s Russia visit. The impression as though various reputable Indian experts almost dream of Russia-China ties harming Russia-India strategic alignment. A wishful thinking case in point,” Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov tweeted on Thursday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping was on a three-day visit to Russia from March 20 to 23.

Xi, in Moscow, met with President Putin, a state visit that highlighted their nations’ close ties amid the war in Ukraine which was closely watched by Kyiv and its Western allies.

Xi Jinping told President Putin that he was convinced that Putin enjoyed the Russian people’s support ahead of a presidential election scheduled for next year, it reported.

Speaking at informal talks at the start of Xi’s state visit to Moscow, Putin also said that Russia was “slightly envious” of China’s rapid development in recent decades.

Meanwhile, Ukraine and the United Kingdom had called on the Chinese leader to use his influence and press Moscow to end the war.

The UK said that China should back up its support for the respect of territorial integrity and demand that Russia end its war in Ukraine.

“We hope President Xi uses this opportunity to press President (Vladimir) Putin to cease bombing Ukrainian cities, hospitals, schools, to halt some of these atrocities that we are seeing on a daily basis,” UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said as Xi and Putin met in Moscow.

Kyiv expects China to use its influence on Russia to end the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said.

“Ukraine is following the Chinese President’s visit to Russia closely,” Nikolenko said in a statement to Reuters shortly after China’s Xi arrived in Moscow for talks with Putin.

“We expect Beijing to use its influence on Moscow to make it put an end to the aggressive war against Ukraine.”

Talking about Xi’s visit to Russia, Putin said that they have high expectations from this trip. He also stated that this is a great opportunity for Russia to meet with my good old friend with whom we enjoy the warmest relationship.

He recalled Xi’s 2010 visit and said, “I made acquaintance with Comrade Xi Jinping in March 2010 when he visited Moscow as head of a high-level Chinese delegation. Our first meeting was held in a very business-like and at the same time sincere and friendly atmosphere.”

“I really like this style of communication. I know that people in China attach great importance to friendship and personal relationships. It is no coincidence that Confucius the Sage said, “Is it not a joy to have friends coming from afar!”

“In Russia, we share this value and hold real friends for brothers. Our two peoples have very much in common here,” he added.