Putin and Xi pledge to strengthen their alliance following Trump's return to the White House.

On Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to intensify their strategic cooperation in a video conference, just a day after President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

The Kremlin's website posted a transcript of a call between Putin and Xi, in which they referred to each other as "friends" and pledged to support one another's strategic goals, regardless of the current global circumstances.

Xi stated that this year, he is prepared to work with Putin to enhance Chinese-Russian relations to a new level, ensuring stability and resilience in the face of external uncertainties.

Both leaders pledged to uphold the U.N.-based international system and safeguard the post-World War II global order, in response to Putin's efforts to reclaim Ukraine and potentially restore the Soviet Union.

Putin was informed by Xi about a call he had with Trump on Friday concerning TikTok, trade, and Taiwan, as reported by Reuters.

According to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, the Chinese and Russian leaders are reportedly open to establishing a mutually beneficial and respectful relationship with the United States, provided that the Trump administration expresses genuine interest in this.

He added that our side is prepared to engage in dialogue with the new U.S. administration regarding the Ukrainian conflict.

Russia's economy has been supported by Beijing, which is the largest consumer of Russian energy resources, as mentioned by Russia during the call.

The Kremlin announced that five years ago, the Power of Siberia gas pipeline was launched in collaboration with China, and now Russia is the top supplier of natural gas to China.

Beijing claims that Moscow directly addressed China's interests in Taiwan and, according to the Chinese Communist Party, "Russia firmly supports Taiwan as an integral part of China's territory and firmly opposes any form of 'Taiwan independence.'"

"I believe that the past year was very good for us," Putin stated. "It can be confidently said that our foreign policy ties and Russia and China's joint efforts objectively play a major stabilizing role in international affairs."