MOSCOW, November 30. / TASS /. Sanctions by Western nations against Beijing are not justified and contradict international law, and these activities against China are repulsive at times, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the VTB Capital's 13th Annual Investment Forum ‘Russia Calling!’ on Tuesday.
"They have been alarming me with China since 2000. Since then, those, who were scaremongering me, got scared themselves and started to change their policy towards China. It has already changed, hence the various sanctions and restrictions, which, in my opinion, are completely unjustified. I mean they contradict the norms of international law," the Russian head of state noted.
Putin mentioned the AUKUS (Australia, the UK and the US) pact as an example of Western policy against China. "The fact remains that this rivalry is mounting, and at times it’s repulsive <…>," the president stated. "An example is the establishment of the AUKUS pact, which includes the US, the UK and Australia. When one sets up a closed alliance against someone, it does not help improve the situation in the region, it escalates tensions," the Russian leader said.