Criticism Of President Macron's Comments, Deputy Foreign Minister Grushko: West Fears The Establishment Of International Relations Between China And Russia

Chinese President Xi Jinping with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Wikimedia Commons/Kremlin.ru/Presidential Press and Information Office)

JAKARTA - Russian officials on Monday criticized French President Emmanuel Macron's comments that Moscow is subject to China, saying Western countries should familiarize themselves with the world supported by the Kremlin's close ties to Beijing.

Russia's criticism focused on an interview given by President Macron to Paris' daily L'Opinion, in which he condemned the Kremlin's isolation caused by an invasion of Ukraine more than 14 months ago.

"(Russia) de facto has started a form of vasalization with China and has lost access to the Baltic very important to them, as this has prompted Sweden and Finland's decision to join Nato," President Macron said as quoted in the daily.

"This was not thought of two years ago," he said.

The polemic appears to be focusing on talks between Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Moscow in March, where they said they would deepen their strategic partnerships by entering a "new era".

In this regard, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia's relations with China are a strategic partner relationship and have nothing to do with dependence.

Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Paris had been busy with increasingly strong Moscow relations with China, as well as the implied changes to the world order.

"The West in general seems afraid of the formation of a truly multilateral international relations system in front of our eyes, which includes several separate independent centers, especially Russia and China," Grushko wrote in a statement on the ministry's website.

"In this ever-expanding world landscape, it is inevitable that E. Macron, together with other leaders in the West must reconcile themselves with the reality of a strong, fair and respectful relationship between Moscow and Beijing,"