Putin and Xi Jinping in sinister conversation as they vow 'change is coming' to global political order

Via his interpreter, Xi told Putin: "Change is coming that hasn't happened in 100 years. And we are driving this change together."

"'Please take care, dear friend" he added, before holding Putin's hand warmly before being waved off by the Russian despot, who bid Xi a "safe journey".

The meeting in Moscow was arranged after in February 2022, the pair announced they had forged a "no limits" friendship and Putin invited Xi to visit the Russian capital.

They have since publicly talked of strengthening their "special relationship", with Moscow and Beijing both rejecting what they say are US attempts to create a "unipolar world" controlled by Washington.

Xi finally met Putin at the Kremlin yesterday, with both leaders appearing keen to promote their positive relations.

They signed a series of memorandums and agreements designed to boost bilateral co-operation on a number of issues, and were pictured coiffing champagne together in the Kremlin's Palace of the Facets as Xi invited his Russian counterpart to visit China later this year.

Their unsettling farewell message came just hours after Putin vowed to respond to British plans to send ammunition containing depleted uranium to Ukraine as Moscow warned the risk of a "nuclear collision" was increasing.

Speaking after talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Russian capital, Putin said he will be "forced to react" if the UK goes ahead with its delivery of 14 next-generation battle tanks.

"The United Kingdom announced not only the supply of tanks to Ukraine, but also shells with depleted uranium" Putin said.

"If this happens, Russia will be forced to respond accordingly, given that the West collectively is already beginning to use weapons with a nuclear component.

"It looks like the West indeed intends to fight Russia until the last Ukrainian."

Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu reiterated Putin's point and warned the world is just mere "steps" away from nuclear disaster.

"Another step has been taken, and there are fewer and fewer left" Shoigu said.

When asked whether this meant that the world was closer to a nuclear collision, he said: "It was not by chance that I told you about steps. There are fewer and fewer."

However, Conservative MP and British army veteran Bob Seely dismissed Putin and Shoigu's statements as a simple intimidation tactic.

"Russia uses nuclear threats to try to intimidate. Moscow did this in the Cold War and sadly the Kremlin is doing it again now" he said.

He added: "Putin's primary political aim is to undermine the link between Ukraine and its Western allies that are supplying Kyiv with funding and arms.

"If he can break that link, he believes he could eventually grind Ukraine down and win a victory that his troops have not been able to win on the battlefields in southern and eastern Ukraine.

"We do not know that he is bluffing and therefore we need to assume he may use nuclear weapons."