Russia’s Putin says he will meet China’s Xi soon

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that he expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping soon, following earlier reports that he planned to visit China in October.
Russia has turned increasingly to China as its most powerful ally since alienating the West last year with its decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, what it calls a “special military operation”.
China has declined to blame Moscow for the war and condemned Western sanctions on Russia, even as it has profited by securing discounts for oil and gas that Russia can no longer sell to Europe.
Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov said in July that Putin planned to visit China in October at the time of its third “Belt and Road” forum, responding to an invitation issued by Xi during a high-profile state visit to Russia in March.