Chinese President Xi Jinping was scheduled to arrive in Moscow on Monday on a three-day visit, with plans to present China as a global peacemaker ready to help resolve the Ukraine crisis, the Reuters news agency reported.
Meanwhile, Putin was expecting Xi to show solidarity with Russia against the West, according to US broadcaster CNN.
In an article released ahead of Xi's visit, Putin called his Chinese counterpart a "good old friend" and said that Russia had high hopes for his visit, Reuters reported.
"We are grateful for the balanced line of (China) in connection with the events taking place in Ukraine, for understanding their background and true causes," Putin said in his article, as quoted by Reuters.
"We welcome China's willingness to play a constructive role in resolving the crisis," Putin added.
Meanwhile, Xi wrote in an article published in Russia's Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily that China's proposal on how to reach a settlement in Ukraine reflected global views and served to neutralise the consequences of the war, according to Reuters.
Xi's visit to Moscow comes after the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of being responsible for war crimes committed in Ukraine.
The Hague-based court said Putin was allegedly responsible for unlawful deportation of children and unlawful transfer of people from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia.
Monday is day 390 of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters, CNN