As Russia’s military last week launched globe-spanning drills widely seen as a show of strength directed at the United States, President Vladimir Putin made clear which country he sees as standing by Moscow’s side.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has announced the commencement of military drills involving mobile RS-24 Yars nuclear missile launchers, marking the latest in a series of such exercises over recent months.

Chinese state media said the drills, named Northern/Interaction-2024, aim to deepen strategic cooperation between the two countries and strengthen their ability to respond to security threats.