Russia and China Set to Hold Joint Naval Exercises

"MOSCOW -- Russia said it would hold joint naval drills with China, highlighting the close partnership between the two nations as the Kremlin seeks to bolster support among partners to offset Western isolation.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Monday that a detachment of warships of the Pacific Fleet from Vladivostok has been put to sea to participate in exercises with their Chinese counterparts, starting Wednesday and running through Dec. 27.

The active part of the exercises would include "joint rocket and artillery firing at air targets, artillery firing at sea targets, as well as practicing joint anti-submarine actions with the practical use of weapons," the Defense Ministry said. It noted that the main goal of the drills is to strengthen naval cooperation between the two nations, enhance their combat capability to jointly counter threats at sea, and to maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

The announcement of the drills, though part of an annual endeavor between the two nations since 2012, came the same day Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk, stirring unease that Mr. Putin is moving to draw Moscow's closest ally into the military operation.

Mr. Lukashenko has signaled that he isn't planning to deploy troops to aid the Kremlin, but a recent bustle of military activity, including joint troop exercises between Belarus and Russia, has created the impression that Minsk could formally enter the military operation in support of Moscow at a time when Kyiv is trying to cement its advances toward the east and south, analysts have said.

On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described as "stupid and unfounded" reports that Mr. Putin was traveling to Belarus to force Minsk to participate in what Moscow calls its special military operation, Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Also on Monday, Russia's Defense Ministry television channel, Zvezda, posted a video of Russian troops training in Belarus. Belarus's Defense Ministry said Monday its forces completed combat-readiness checks.

Saddled with sanctions from the West and increasingly ostracized, Mr. Putin has sought to bolster the support of Moscow's partners, particularly courting those that also are at odds with the U.S. and Europe. The European Union expanded its sanctions against Belarus for its support of Russia's military actions. Mr. Lukashenko allowed Moscow to use Belarus as a staging ground to deploy troops to Ukraine. Tens of thousands of Russian troops were stationed there, and Russian war planes have taken off from Belarusian bases.

Following their negotiations, Mr. Putin told officials gathered in Minsk that Russia and Belarus agreed to continue to conduct joint military exercises and to develop new military equipment together.

Though Beijing and Moscow aren't formal diplomatic allies, China's leader Xi Jinping has been Mr. Putin's most powerful supporter and has found common cause with the Russian leader in trying to defend their nations' respective interests and authoritarian systems from Western pressure.

Mr. Xi has publicly tried to put distance between Beijing and Moscow, as Russia has faced battlefield setbacks, but has simultaneously refrained from outwardly criticizing Moscow's actions in Ukraine.

China's Defense Ministry confirmed the joint military drills on Tuesday, describing them as a demonstration of "the determination and capability of the two sides to jointly respond to maritime security threats, maintain international and regional peace and stability and further deepen China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership."” [1]

 

 Strange. We them as... And look, they unite. Against us.

 

 1. World News: Russia and China Set to Hold Joint Naval Exercises
Simmons, Ann M.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 20 Dec 2022: A.9.