The United States said on Thursday that China cannot have stronger ties with Europe and other countries while supporting Russia in its ongoing war against Ukraine.
Following Russian President Vladimir Putin's arrival in Beijing, China's President Xi Jinping expressed readiness to work with the Russian leader to jointly steer the future direction of bilateral relations between the two countries, reported Xinhua.
Putin arrived in Beijing on Thursday, marking his first overseas trip since his re-election in March and his second visit to China in just over six months.
Russian presidential envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov and the Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Second Asian Department held bilateral consultations on Afghanistan in New Delhi on Wednesday and discussed the current situation of the Afghan people.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit China on Thursday, marking his second visit in less than a year as the conflict escalates in Gaza and Ukraine, according to CNN.
Analysts have said that Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Serbia and Hungary demonstrates China's limitations amid the ups and downs in ties between Beijing and the European Union.
Vladimir Putin expressed confidence in overcoming the current challenging period with dignity and emerging stronger and said, "I am confident that we will pass through this difficult pivotal period with dignity and emerge even stronger."
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Putin has hinted at the potential use of tactical nuclear weapons against Western nations. However, Monday marked the first public announcement of such drills by Russia.
Mir Junaid called upon the international community to take a firm stance against entities propagating violence, terrorism, and discord, which undermine regional and global stability.
Speaking to reporters, Peskov said, "So far, at this moment, there are no premises for talks because everybody knows full well Ukraine's stance on rejecting any kind of negotiations. So the special military operation continues."
Putin conveyed his message during a phone call with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday, focusing on "retaliatory measures taken by Iran" in response to an Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus earlier on April 1.