Russia warns US will be dragged into war if they give Ukraine more missiles as Putin, Xi & Iran meet in new Axis of Evil

RUSSIA has warned the United States it will be dragged into a war by arming Ukraine with better missiles. It comes as Vladimir Putin is meeting fellow tyrants Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader, and Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi at a “dictators’ club” meeting. APVladimir Putin addressing Xi Jinping at the meeting[/caption] ReutersXi told Putin China would work with Russia as ‘great powers’[/caption] Putin and Xi met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Uzbekistan – their first face-to-face meeting since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. As the pair came face-to-face, Russia warned the US against any further deliveries of missiles. “The United States and its allies, who supply weapons to the Kiev regime, are actually becoming accomplices in its war crimes,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. “If Washington decides to supply Kiev with longer-range missiles, it will cross the red line and become a direct party to the conflict. READ MORE ON VLADIMIR PUTIN WAR CRIMINALS Desperate Putin recruits ‘suicide squads’ of gulag inmates for war in Ukraine OUT OF THE BLUE Editor of Vladimir Putin's favourite paper dies 'suddenly' on business trip “We reserve the right to defend our territory with all available to us.” In televised opening remarks at the bilateral meeting, Putin told Xi: “We highly value the balanced position of our Chinese friends when it comes to the Ukraine crisis.” In return, Xi told Putin that China was willing to work with Moscow as “great powers” during his first trip overseas since the early days of the pandemic. Putin is holding out a begging bowl to China, hoping it will buy more oil and gas to help keep funding the war in Ukraine. Most read in News SOLEMN MARCH Charles leads Royals in sombre procession behind Queen’s coffin to Westminster UNDER PRESSURE Moment royal guard faints on podium while on duty next to Queen's coffin TITLE DECIDER Harry and Meghan 'furious' as Archie and Lilibet will NOT get HRH status WALK OF SHAME Mum of ‘kids found dead in storage auction suitcase’ pleads ‘I didn’t do it’ SHORT THRIFT My daughter was sent home from school over a skirt she wore all last term SIDE BY SIDE Harry and Meghan 'break ranks with impulsive gesture' at Queen's service China’s oil, gas, coal and electricity purchases from Russia amount to £37 billion so far this year. Russia also wants Beijing to sell it microchips its military desperately needs to for hi-tech weapons. Its soldiers are now increasingly relying on ancient stocks of primitive Soviet-era munitions while Ukrainian forces are turning tide in with pinpoint strikes using Western weapons. Earlier this year, China poured thousands of troops into Russia for military drills at the start of this month involving 60 warships and 140 planes as the countries boost defence ties. And following the Beijing Summit in February, the two countries declared a “friendship without limits” with “no forbidden areas” of cooperation. The so-called “dictators’ club” already includes India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. It formed in 1996 and its members include some of the world’s most ruthless leaders. Read More on The Sun LIP SERVICE The Queen's secret signal using a lipstick revealed by former royal footman AD BLUNDER Mystery as Queen's undertaker removes hearse window ad during six hour drive The club’s latest member Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has a bloody history steeped in murder and executions, activists claim. Raisi – often referred to as The Butcher – is reported to have been a key member of the so-called “Death Commission”, which ordered thousands to be killed in the massacre of 1988. EPAPutin shaking hands with Ebrahim Raisi often referred to as The Butcher[/caption]