Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a “thorough” exchange of views during a face-to-face meeting in Moscow on Monday, the Kremlin said.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov refrained from commenting on the outcome of the first day of Xi’s visit to Russia, during which the presidents are expected to discuss Beijing’s proposition on resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
“A thorough exchange of views took place,” Peskov told reporters, saying that the leaders will elaborate during their press statements on Tuesday.
He also confirmed Putin and Xi discussed China’s “peace plan” during their first meeting of the visit which lasted four and a half hours, without disclosing any more details.
Putin and Xi are also expected to hold official joint events in the Kremlin on Tuesday, including two rounds of Russia-Chinese negotiations, a ceremony for signing documents, statements for the press and a state dinner.
However, senior officials in Kyiv and the United States have warned that they predict the meetings will have little impact on the conflict in Ukraine, where Russia’s invasion has prompted a mass humanitarian crisis and left tens of thousands dead.
CNN’s Simone McCarthy contributed reporting.
