The Russian president has briefed his Chinese counterpart on talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff
Russian President Vladimir Putin has briefed Chinese leader Xi Jinping on his recent talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff regarding the Ukraine conflict ahead of a potential US-Russia summit, Chinese media reported on Friday, citing Xi’s office.
The phone call reportedly touched on bilateral ties and global challenges. Putin said Moscow values China’s constructive role in resolving the Ukraine crisis and is ready to maintain close coordination with Beijing.
Xi welcomed contacts between Russia and the US, voiced support for improved relations, and backed a long-lasting political resolution to Moscow’s conflict with Kiev. “There are no simple solutions to complex issues,” Xi was quoted as saying, pledging that China will keep promoting dialogue to resolve regional conflicts.
Both leaders expressed appreciation for the strategic partnership between their nations.
”The leaders of the two countries highly appreciated the high level of political trust and strategic interaction… and unanimously agreed to jointly advance the relations… to greater development,” Xi’s office said.
The Kremlin confirmed the call and said the two leaders also discussed Putin’s upcoming visit to China.
Details of Putin’s nearly three-hour meeting with Witkoff on Wednesday were not disclosed. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov earlier said both sides had “exchanged signals” on Ukraine and discussed Russia-US ties and potential strategic cooperation. The White House said the meeting “went better than expected,” while US President Donald Trump noted that “great progress was made,” although no specifics were provided.
Witkoff’s Moscow trip has raised expectations of a Putin-Trump summit. Western media reported that US aides began preparing for the meeting immediately after the visit. Ushakov confirmed it could happen as soon as next week, and Putin later proposed the United Arab Emirates as a possible location.
Moscow has consistently said it prefers a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict that addresses its security concerns. It has held three rounds of US-mediated talks with Kiev in the past two months, resulting in major prisoner swaps and draft settlement terms. Russia views the conflict as a Western proxy war and insists it would end if Kiev accepted neutrality and agreed to demilitarization.
