THE leaders of Russia and China pushed back against pressure from the United States today and declared their opposition to any expansion of Nato.

Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping issued a joint statement to highlight the “interference in the internal affairs” of other states as both leaders continue to face criticism from the West over their foreign and domestic policies.

The statement said: “Some forces representing a minority on the world stage continue to advocate unilateral approaches to resolving international problems and resort to military policy.”