And on Thursday he blasted the West for thinking Russia could be defeated on the battlefield.

Moscow’s opponents “do not conceal their aim to deal our country a strategic defeat,” he said.

“I will say directly that these are illusionary calculations, that can be made only by those who do not know Russia’s history.”

Russia has faced fresh accusations of escalating the conflict this week with the United States, South Korea, NATO and Kyiv all saying North Korea had deployed troops to Russia.

Kyiv said Thursday it had intelligence the soldiers had already been deployed to Russia’s western Kursk region, where Ukraine is mounting a cross-border offensive.

Putin refused to confirm or deny the reports on Thursday, instead accusing Ukraine and the West of aggravating the conflict.

Middle East

Putin will later sit down for talks with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the pair’s first meeting since April 2022.

The UN chief had pleaded earlier for a “just peace” in Ukraine in a speech delivered in front of Putin.

“We need peace in Ukraine. A just peace in line with the UN Charter, international law and (UN) General Assembly resolution,” Guterres told the summit.

Ukraine has strongly criticized Guterres’s decision to meet the “criminal Putin.”

Guterres also demanded an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza, the release of hostages and an “immediate cessation of hostilities” in Lebanon.

Other world leaders at the summit also called for an end to Israel’s wars in Lebanon and Gaza, with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas saying Israel was trying to starve Gazan civilians and drive them from their territory.

Xi warned about “serious challenges” in the world and said he hoped BRICS countries could be a “stabilizing force for peace.”

“We need to continue to push for a ceasefire in Gaza, relaunch the two-state solution and stop the spread of war in Lebanon. There should be no more suffering and destruction in Palestine and Lebanon,” Xi said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian slammed the UN Security Council’s role in front of Guterres, saying international bodies “lack the necessary efficiency to extinguish the fire of this crisis.”

Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday hailed his country’s ties with Russia in a “chaotic” world as he met President Vladimir Putin at the BRICS summit in Kazan.

“The world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, and the international situation is chaotic and intertwined,” Xi told Putin, praising the “profound friendship” between their two countries.

China and Russia, Xi said, “have continuously deepened and expanded comprehensive strategic coordination and practical cooperation.”

Ties have “injected strong impetus into the development, revitalization and modernization of the two countries,” the Chinese leader said.

And they have “made important contributions to upholding international equity and justice,” he added.

Moscow and Beijing have forged closer ties since Russia launched its military offensive in Ukraine in February 2022, an alliance that has caused anxiety in the West as both countries seek to expand their global influence.

China and Russia declared a “no-limits” partnership shortly before Moscow launched its attack on Ukraine, which Beijing has never condemned.

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping headed to South Africa on Monday, state media reported, where he will attend the BRICS summit in Johannesburg.
The state visit will be Xi’s second international trip of 2023, after making an official trip to Russia in March.
“Chinese President Xi Jinping left Beijing on Monday for the 15th BRICS Summit to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, and a state visit to South Africa,” Xinhua news agency reported.
The heads of Brazil, China, India and South Africa plus Russia’s top diplomat will gather from Tuesday to Thursday this week under the theme “BRICS and Africa”, South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said this month.
Questions had swirled over whether Russian President Vladimir Putin — who is sought by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his role in the Ukraine war — would attend this year’s BRICS conference in South Africa, which is a signatory of the ICC.
The Chinese leader previously visited South Africa in 2018 as he sought to enhance his country’s diplomatic and economic ties with the continent.
On the agenda at this year’s summit will be the possible future expansion of BRICS membership, which the bloc has previously indicated it is open to.
Several African countries have previously expressed a desire to join the bloc, including Algeria, Egypt and Ethiopia.
A total of 69 countries have been invited to the summit, including all African states.
BRICS, a loosely-defined group that sees itself as a counterweight to Western economic domination, derives its name from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The group represents 23 percent of the world’s gross domestic product and 42 percent of the world’s population.