China’s Xi meets with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in show of support against Western democracies

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in a sign of mutual support amid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and shared opposition to Western democracies led by the U.S. No details of the meeting were immediately released, although Lavrov held a news conference earlier Tuesday with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at which they reaffirmed solidarity in international affairs. Lavrov said Russia and China oppose any international events that do not take Russia’s position into account. He said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “so-called peace formula” was “completely detached from any realities.” Zelensky has called for the withdrawal of Russian forces and the return of all occupied Ukrainian territory, but is heavily reliant on support from the U.S.