New Delhi: After Chinese Leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded their meeting on Thursday, the United States asserted that Beijing cannot have good ties with both West while supporting Russia in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The States said that China "can't have it both ways," referring to the country's intentions of improved relations with the West, "while simultaneously continuing to fuel the biggest threat to European security in a long time."

Speaking at a press conference US  State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said, "The People's Republic of China can't have its cake and eat it too."

"It can't have it both ways and want to have (better) relationships with Europe and other countries while simultaneously continuing to fuel the biggest threat to European security in a long time," he added referring to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

China and Russia's 'Joint Work to Uphold Justice in World'

On Thursday, May 16, the Presidents of both the country held a crucial meeting and pledged for a "new era" of the old friendship and partnership between the two countries. As Russia is actively seeking support from Russia in its ongoing invasion in Ukraine, both Putin and Xi signed a joint statement about the "new era" that proclaimed opposition to the US on a host of security issues with shared views on Taiwan, Ukraine, North Korea and cooperation on how to achieve new peaceful nuclear technologies and finance.

The Chinese Leader told Putin, "The China-Russia relationship today is hard-earned, and the two sides need to cherish and nurture it," Reuters quoted.

"China is willing to ... jointly achieve the development and rejuvenation of our respective countries, and work together to uphold fairness and justice in the world," he added.

The Russian President was welcomed on a red carpet by Xi outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

After the meeting, Russia’s Putin expressed gratitude to Xi Jinping for China’s initiatives to resolve the Ukraine conflict.

This development comes as Putin said that Russia is open to dialogue on Ukraine, "but such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including ours," the Russian President was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.

By picking China as his first place to visit after starting his new term as the President, Vladimir Putin is sending out a message to the world about his 'priorities and connections with Xi,' amid rising global tensions in the world and Kremlin's offensive in Kyiv.

West vs China and Russia?

Putin's recent visit comes after the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing earlier this month where he raised concerns over China's support for the Russian military.

Washington charged Beijing, while not supplying anything directly, but supported Moscow in expanding its defence industry.

However, during the meeting, both leaders condemned the United States over its initiatives to seize assets and properties of foreign states, giving a clear reference to the West to redirect its profit from frozen Russian assets or the assets themselves, to help Ukraine.

"The United States still thinks in terms of the Cold War and is guided by the logic of bloc confrontation, putting the security of 'narrow groups' above regional security and stability, which creates a security threat for all countries in the region," read the joint statement by Xi and Putin.

US and Ukraine:

Blinken in a press conference in Kyiv with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday said that the United States passed an additional $2 billion in aid to Ukraine.  a press conference in Kyiv with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

"All of this -- in particular as we think about the defence industrial base -- builds on an incredible spirit of innovation, of ingenuity, of entrepreneurship that we see here in Ukraine," he said.

"The $60 billion supplemental, we know, is coming at a critical time. Ukraine is facing this renewed brutal Russian onslaught, and we see again senseless strikes on civilians and residential buildings," he added.