Russia and China should stand firm in rejecting western interference and defending each other’s security interests, Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping agreed in a video call on Wednesday.

Their conversation, eight days after Putin spoke to US President Joe Biden in a similar format, underscored how shared hostility to the west is bringing Moscow and Beijing closer together.

“At present, certain international forces under the guise of ‘democracy’ and ‘human rights’ are interfering in the internal affairs of China and Russia, and brutally trampling on international law and recognised norms of international relations,” China’s state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as saying. “China and Russia should increase their joint efforts to more effectively safeguard the security interests of both parties.”

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that Xi had offered support to Putin for his push to obtain binding security guarantees for Russia from the west, saying he understood Moscow’s concerns.

He said the pair also expressed their “negative view” of the creation of new military alliances such as the AUKUS tie-up between Australia, UK and the US and the Indo-Pacific “Quad” of Australia, India, Japan and the US.

The call highlighted the ways in which Russia and China are drawing on each other for mutual support at a time of high tension in their relations with the west.

China is under pressure over human rights and Russia is accused of threatening behaviour towards Ukraine.

The Kremlin said Putin briefed Xi on his conversation with Biden, in which the US President warned Russia against invading Ukraine — which Moscow denies it is planning — and Putin set out his demand for security pledges.