Putin says ready to discuss China’s Ukraine plan at Xi talks
Al JazeeraChinese leader Xi Jinping visits Moscow days after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin and Xi greeted one another as “dear friend” when they met in the Kremlin, and Russian state news agencies later reported they held informal talks for nearly four and a half hours on Monday, with further official talks scheduled for Tuesday. “China has made a colossal leap ahead in its development in recent years,” Putin said, adding that “it’s causing genuine interest all around the world, and we even feel a bit envious,” as Xi smiled. “Both Xi and Putin don’t see Zelenskyy as a leader of Ukraine, they believe he is a puppet of America,” Markov said, when asked about the two leaders’ thoughts on the war. US questions ‘marriage of convenience’ relationship Meanwhile, Washington criticised Xi’s visit, saying the timing showed Beijing was providing Moscow with “diplomatic cover” to commit further crimes.