Days prior to the US-Russia summit in Geneva, the “Yalta II”, Russian President Vladimir Poutin was interviewed by US television network, NBC News [1].

Conducting the interview, journalist Keir Simmons asked him about the increasing power of the Chinese military, China’s absence from the nuclear arms control negotiations between the United States and Russia, China’s internal issue concerning Xinjiang, Russia’s cooperation in the space program with China and the United States, and what Russia would do if China opted for a military solution to the Taiwan question. But not on Beijing’s territorial claims in eastern Siberia.

Another question was: “China, for example, abstained on Crimea at the Security Council. China’s biggest banks have not contravened American sanctions against Russia. Do you think you get 100% support from China?

President Putin alluded to the unsuccessful attempts to break up the China-Russia alliance and reaffirmed that it was very strong. “We do not believe that China is a threat to us,” he concluded.

In their recent history, Russia and China have had a taste of the intentions harbored by the West towards them. The two nations are convinced that, if they part company, they would be attacked in turn; that their alliance is therefore not a choice, but a necessity for their survival.