Putin Welcomes Chinese Role in Ukraine Crisis Ahead of Xi Jinping’s Moscow Visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed China's willingness to play a "constructive role" in solving the Ukraine crisis, in an article released on Sunday, the eve of a visit by his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. In what the Kremlin said was an article written for a Chinese newspaper, Putin called Xi his "good old friend" and said Russia had high hopes for his visit, the Chinese leader's first to Russia since Putin launched his "special military operation" last year. "We are grateful for the balanced line of (China) in connection with the events taking place in Ukraine, for understanding their background…