West to stand together in fight against dictatorships, Britain warns Putin, Xi

The West would stand together to fight for democracy against dictatorships, Britain warned Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.   

The dictatorships were emboldened more than any time since the Cold War, it said.  

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who will be speaking in Australia, will say the West must respond together to global threats. It should also deepen ties with democracies in the Indo-Pacific and "face down global aggressors".  

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In a speech at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Truss will say that global aggressors "are emboldened in a way we haven’t seen since the Cold War."   

"They seek to export dictatorship as a service around the world. That is why regimes like Belarus, North Korea and Myanmar find their closest allies in Moscow and Beijing," Truss will further say.  

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According to Truss, the West, should work with allies, such as India, Japan, Israel, Australia and Indonesia to "face down global aggressors", especially in the Pacific.  

"It is time for the free world to stand its ground," Truss will add.  

Truss will also warn Putin to "desist and step back from Ukraine before he makes a massive strategic mistake."  

(With inputs from agencies)