Chinese President Xi Jinping has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit China this year. The invitation was extended ahead of a second round of talks between the two leaders in Moscow, AFP informed citing Russian news agencies. Putin on Monday told Chinese President Xi Jinping that he had looked at China's proposals for a resolution of the Ukraine conflict and that he viewed them with respect, reported Reuters. Putin tells Xi Jinping, who is in Moscow for a three-day state visit to Russia, that they will discuss China's Ukraine peace plan.
Chinese President Xi Jinping's ongoing visit to Russia has put him in a delicate diplomatic position, as tensions between Russia and the West continue to escalate. At the same time, Russia has been keen to emphasize the significance of the visit, presenting it as a show of support from a powerful ally. Informal talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which Putin expressed some degree of envy over China's rapid economic development. As reported by the news agency ANI, Oleg Nikolenko, spokesperson for the Ukrainian foreign ministry, has stated that Ukraine is counting on China to use its diplomatic influence to encourage Russia to put an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine. "Ukraine is following the Chinese President's visit to Russia closely," Nikolenko said in a statement to Reuters shortly after China's Xi arrived in Moscow for talks with Putin. Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine shortly after he and Chinese President Xi Jinping declared a "no limits" partnership in February of an unspecified year.