One of Vladimir Putin’s propagandists has broken ranks and suggested plans to strengthen Russia’s alliance with China are “very dangerous.”
Vladimir Solovyov, an outspoken supporter of the Putin regime and his war in Ukraine, took a tentative step away from the Kremlin as he argued the government should focus on making Russia fully independent from foreign influence.
He suggested a closer relationship with Beijing would not help the country protect its “national interests” but instead threatens Russia’s ability to develop its own defenses.
In a clip from his daily state TV show shared on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Solovyov said: “It’s dangerous to replace America with China.
“Thinking about it, it is very dangerous that we may come running from there to here. And just as we used to put all our eggs in the Anglo-Saxon basket, we may put them in the Chinese basket.”
He also suggested strengthening internal defenses and security would quench Russia’s desire to “merge with anyone.”
“This is very dangerous. It is necessary [for our country] to finally recognize itself as a bear who loves its taiga and relies on its own strength,” he said.
Solovyov added: “Formulate for itself, once and for all, its own national interests, identify enemies, and do not hesitate to call them enemies. Then, there will be no desire to merge with anyone.”
Since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022 China has been playing a critical role in supplementing Russia’s ailing economy – and has provided munition to Putin’s depleted arsenal.
And the relationship between the two nations is expected to be cemented further after Putin suggested that he will be meeting President Xi Jinping in October.
The visit will mark the first trip abroad the Russian president has embarked on since the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest over alleged war crimes committed in Ukraine.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning did not share details on when the meeting will take place but insisted that: “The leaders of China and Russia maintain close strategic communication.”
Both Putin and Xi had boasted about their “deepening practical cooperation” during their last meeting before the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
But despite the countries’s close partnership, China will not want to risk access to Western markets – leaving Xi facing a considerable challenge when he meets with Putin.
Ali Wyne, a senior analyst with Eurasia Group, told VOA: “Even as China strengthens its relationship with Russia, I don’t think that China wants to abandon its relationship with the West. Xi’s going to have to strike a balancing act.”
Wyne also suggested Beijing could seek reassurances from Moscow about ending the war in Ukraine to relaunch its diplomatic efforts with the international community.
“China recognizes that the longer the war between Russia and Ukraine drags on, the more the Sino-Russian relationship undercuts China’s ability to advance its diplomacy in the West,” he added.
Adding to uncertainty beyond the border, China’s economy grew at a 6.3 percent annual pace in the second quarter of 2023, much slower than the 7 percent-plus growth that analysts had forecast based on the anemic pace of activity the year before.
Roughly one in five young workers is unemployed — a record high that adds to pressures on consumer spending.
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