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<\/div>\nPutin said he had “high expectations” of his talks with the Chinese leader. (File)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Moscow: <\/b><\/p>\n
President Vladimir Putin on Sunday welcomed China’s willingness to play a “constructive role” in ending the conflict in Ukraine, saying Sino-Russian relations were “at the highest point”.<\/p>\n
His Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping heads to Russia on Monday hoping to deliver a breakthrough on Ukraine as Beijing seeks to position itself as a peacemaker.<\/p>\n
The quality of ties between Moscow and Beijing is “higher than the political and military unions of the Cold War era”, Putin said in an article written for a Chinese newspaper and published by the Kremlin on the eve of Xi’s visit.<\/p>\n
Putin said he had “high expectations” of his talks with the Chinese leader.<\/p>\n
“We have no doubt that they will give a new powerful impetus to the whole bilateral cooperation,” he added.<\/p>\n
Putin hailed “China’s willingness to play a constructive role in resolving” the year-long conflict in Ukraine.<\/p>\n
He said he was grateful to Beijing for its “balanced” stance on events in Ukraine and its understanding of the conflict’s backstory and the “real reasons” behind it.<\/p>\n
“Russia is open to a settlement of the Ukrainian crisis by political-diplomatic means,” Putin assured in the article.<\/p>\n
However, he insisted on Kyiv’s recognition of “new geopolitical realities”, namely Russia’s annexation last year of four Ukrainian regions, as well as Crimea back in 2014.<\/p>\n
“Unfortunately, ultimatums to Russia show that (their authors) are far from these realities and have no interest in seeking a solution,” he added.<\/p>\n
Announcing the trip Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Beijing would “play a constructive role in promoting peace talks”.<\/p>\n
Freshly reappointed for a third term in power, Xi is pushing a greater role for China on the global stage, and was crucial in mediating a surprise rapprochement between Middle Eastern rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia this month.<\/p>\n
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n