China's Xi arrives for 1st visit in Russia since Ukraine invasion

Chinese President Xi Jinping met his "dear friend" Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday, seeking both to deepen economic ties with an ally he sees as a useful counterweight to the West and to promote Beijing's role as a potential peacemaker in Ukraine.

Xi was the first national leader to shake Putin's hand since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him on Friday over the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia since its invasion.

Moscow said the charge was one of several "clearly hostile displays" and opened a criminal case against the ICC prosecutor and judges. Beijing said the warrant reflected double standards.

Russia is presenting Xi's trip, also his first since securing an unprecedented third term this month, as evidence that it has a powerful friend prepared to stand with it against a hostile West that it accuses of trying to isolate and defeat Moscow.

The two men greeted one another as "dear friend" when they met in the Kremlin on Monday afternoon before a dinner, to be followed by formal talks on Tuesday.

China last month released a 12-point proposal to solve the Ukraine crisis, though it contains only general statements and no concrete proposal on how to end the year-long war, which has killed tens of thousands of people, destroyed cities and forced millions to flee.

Putin told Xi he viewed China's proposals for a resolution of the Ukraine conflict with respect, and was also "slightly envious" of China's rapid development in recent decades.

"China has created a very effective system for developing the economy and strengthening the state. It is much more effective than in many other countries," he said.

China has repeatedly dismissed Western accusations that it is planning to arm Russia, but says it wants a closer energy partnership after boosting imports of Russian coal, gas and oil following Putin's all-out invasion of Ukraine. 

Ukraine and its Western backers would be likely to dismiss any attempt to secure a ceasefire as little more than a ploy to buy Putin time to reinforce, and delay a widely expected Ukrainian counter-offensive.

Ukraine said China should press Russia to stop its invasion.

"We expect Beijing to use its influence on Moscow to make it put an end to the aggressive war against Ukraine," Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he will only consider peace settlements after Russian troops leave Ukrainian territory.

Putin, who visited Russian-occupied Mariupol in Ukraine on the weekend, has welcomed China's offer to mediate. He signed a "no limits" strategic partnership with Xi last year shortly before he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine to end what he said was a threat to Russia from its moves toward the West.