Kremlin aide says Putin-Xi discuss situation in Cuba, Iran, Venezuela

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday that a virtual meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier in the day addressed the situation around Cuba, Iran, and Venezuela.

Ushakov told reporters at a briefing that the 1-hour-and-25 minute closed-door conversation between the two leaders was “substantive” and paid attention to the “most urgent international issues.”

Opening remarks by the presidents were broadcast live by Russian state TV channel Rossiya-24.

“Special attention was paid to the tense situation around Iran,” Ushakov said, noting that Putin informed Xi about his conversation with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani in Moscow on Friday.

Ushakov said the two leaders also “checked their approaches” with regards to the situation around Venezuela and Cuba, speaking in favor of preserving the level of cooperation with Caracas and Havana developed by their respective countries.

Last month, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency and establishing a process to impose tariffs on goods from countries that sell or otherwise provide oil to Cuba.

Following the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Jan. 3, Trump has repeatedly argued that Cuba "will be failing pretty soon" as it loses critical financial and energy support previously provided by Venezuela.

Meanwhile, pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program has intensified in recent weeks, particularly since the outbreak of anti-government protests in late December.

Ushakov said Putin and Xi also exchanged views on the situation in the Asia-Pacific region and regarding ties with the US.

“Our approaches here practically coincide — this is expressed, for example, in the assessments of US President Donald Trump’s initiative to create a Board of Peace,” Ushakov said, adding that Moscow and Beijing stand for “equal and mutually beneficial cooperation based on the principles of international law and the UN Charter.”

He said the two presidents confirmed that Russia-China partnership is at an “unprecedented” level and agreed on the need for permanent mechanisms for bilateral consultations to “ensure a timely response to emerging challenges and threats.”

Ushakov said Russia expressed support for China's initiative to create a global organization for cooperation in artificial intelligence, while the Chinese president expressed support for ongoing trilateral talks on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, a second round of which began earlier Wednesday.

The presidential aide said Xi invited Putin to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit due in the Chinese city of Shenzhen in November and expressed the Russian president’s readiness to attend the event.

“During the conversation, President Xi Jinping invited Vladimir Putin to make an official visit to China in the first half of the year. The invitation was gratefully accepted,” he added.