Putin's meeting with Xi Jinping, comes the immediate reaction from the White House

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby spoke at a White House press conference during which he was asked about the extent to which China and Russia are challenging US global influence.

"No other nation in the world, none, has the network of alliances and partnerships that the US has," he said. "This is the power of American leadership that gathers. You don't see that power from Russia or China,” he said, on the same day Russian President Putin met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in the Kremlin.

"These are two countries that don't have the same network of friends and partners, and one of the reasons you're seeing that tightening relationship between China and Russia is because they realize they don't have a strong foundation of international support for what they're trying to do. ", he continued.

Kirby also told reporters that China was still considering providing lethal aid to Russia.