WASHINGTON — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that he will soon meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping as the Kremlin's war in Ukraine drags on.
"Soon enough we will have some events and there will be a meeting with the Chinese President [Xi Jinping]," Putin said during a conference with students in Russia.
"He [Xi] calls me his friend, and I am happy to call him my friend, because this is a man who personally does a lot for the development of Russian-Chinese relations and cooperation in different areas," Putin said.
Since Russia's invasion of its ex-Soviet neighbor, Washington and its allies have imposed rounds of coordinated sanctions vaulting Russia past Iran and North Korea as the world's most-sanctioned country.
White House officials have previously expressed deep concerns about China's alignment with Russia and the possibility that the world's second-largest economy may aid Moscow as the Kremlin's war heads into its 600th day.
Persons:
WASHINGTON, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Xi, Putin
Locations:
Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Soviet, Washington, Iran, North Korea, Moscow