MOSCOW—Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday announced the extension of a 20-year-old friendship and cooperation treaty between their countries, both of which have strained ties with the West.
Putin said the Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship, signed in 2001, would be automatically extended for another five years after it expires in February 2022.
Russia’s relations with the United States and other Western countries linger at post-Cold War lows over issues ranging from Moscow’s annexation of Crimea to allegations of Russian meddling in U.S. elections.
Putin held a summit earlier this month with U.S. counterpart Joe Biden in which they decided to cooperate in some areas despite their tense relations.
