The statement by John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House, came as Putin hosted the Chinese leader that In President Vladimir Putin and Russia, Chinese President Xi Jinping sees a counterweight to the American and NATO influence in the world. 

The White House said Tuesday, "I think you've seen over the years that these two countries are growing close together. I wouldn't go so far as to call it an alliance. ... (it's) a marriage of convenience, because that's what I think it is. In President Putin and Russia, President Xi sees a counterweight to American influence and NATO influence, certainly on the continent and elsewhere around the world," Kirby told reporters at a daily news conference here.

"In President Xi, President Putin sees a potential backer here. This is a man who doesn't have a whole lot of friends on the international stage. They can count them on one hand mostly. He really needs and wants President Xi's support for what he's trying to do because he's blowing through inventory," he said.

Referring to the joint statement after the Putin-Xi meeting, Kirby noted that in Ukraine the two sides just said, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be observed and international law must be respected.

The statement by John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House, came as Putin hosted the Chinese leader that In President Vladimir Putin and Russia, Chinese President Xi Jinping sees a counterweight to the American and NATO influence in the world. 

The White House said Tuesday, "I think you've seen over the years that these two countries are growing close together. I wouldn't go so far as to call it an alliance. ... (it's) a marriage of convenience, because that's what I think it is. In President Putin and Russia, President Xi sees a counterweight to American influence and NATO influence, certainly on the continent and elsewhere around the world," Kirby told reporters at a daily news conference here.

"In President Xi, President Putin sees a potential backer here. This is a man who doesn't have a whole lot of friends on the international stage. They can count them on one hand mostly. He really needs and wants President Xi's support for what he's trying to do because he's blowing through inventory," he said.

Referring to the joint statement after the Putin-Xi meeting, Kirby noted that in Ukraine the two sides just said, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be observed and international law must be respected.