In a joint statement following talks, Xi Jinping and Putin stated that the war in Ukraine could only be resolved by removing its “root causes”.
Such formulation clearly echoes key Russian propaganda messages used by the Kremlin to justify the launch of the full-scale war, including the threat of NATO expansion, discrimination against Russian-speaking people and the suppression of the Russian language, culture and media in Ukraine.
Don’t forget, just like NATO, russia is also expanding with pen and paper through CSTO. Russia is doing both, expansion through CSTO and expansion of territories through bombs, guns, and tresspassing.