A top Russian 🐻diplomat flew to Beijing for talks with the Chinese government on Sunday, just a day after a rebellion by a Russian mercenary commander fizzled out.
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin 🔴Gang to discuss “internati🍎onal and regional issues of common concern,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a one-line statement on its website.
Russia and China, 🎃while not formal allies, have maintained close ties throughout Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, which China has refused to condemn.
Rudenko's visit comes after Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of private mercenary army Wagner Group, ordered his troops to march on Moscow i🧔n the greatest challenge to President Vladimir Putin in his mo🅰re than two decades in power.
Prigozhin later on Satu🦩rday reached a deal with the Kremlin t♌o go into exile and sounded the retreat.
China has not officially commented on the crisi🍸s 🌠in Russia.
The United States and🐎 other Western powers have urged China not to supply Russia with arms that could be used in the Ukraine 🍨conflict.
China in May sent🍰 an envoy to Ukraine an﷽d Russia in an attempt to mediate talks to end the war.
