Putin tells Xi he understands China’s ‘questions and concerns’ over Ukraine
Russian leader seems keen to curry favour with Chinese president as battlefield setbacks and sanctions bite
Vladimir Putin has told Xi Jinping that he understands China’s “questions and concerns” about the war in Ukraine, in a rare nod to tensions between the two states caused by the Russian invasion.
The remarks came as Xi and Putin met on Thursday for the first time since the war began, at a summit in Uzbekistan where the Russian president was expected to court the Chinese leader personally as an ally in his conflict with the west.