Putin and Xi to discuss Ukraine, Iran and US relations during tea meeting in Beijing; Kremlin aide

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping will discuss a broad range of international issues during their upcoming tea meeting, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov said on Wednesday.

During Putin’s current visit to Beijing, Russia and China reached agreements on joint energy projects, while understandings were also achieved on “something very important,” Ushakov told Russian media in an interview.

Asked about a possible visit by US Envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow, Ushakov said the diplomat had repeatedly expressed his intention to again visit the Russian capital, although no dates have yet been agreed upon.

According to the Kremlin aide, the dates of the trip will be determined jointly by Moscow and Washington.

“Since this is a bilateral exchange, it is an issue to be resolved on a bilateral basis. One side proposes, the other agrees, proposes alternative dates, or agrees to the proposed ones,” he said. “This is a normal diplomatic process.”

Turning to Putin’s two-day visit to China, which is set to conclude today, Ushakov said that during the tea meeting, Putin and Xi will discuss a wide range of international issues, including the situation around Ukraine and Iran, as well as relations with the United States.

“Primarily international matters – Ukraine, Iran, relations with the United States, cooperation within international organizations, and so on,” he said. “The Chinese side is interested in all international issues because China plays an enormous role in international affairs, as everyone knows.”