Putin and Xi to speak on multiple issues over video link on Friday, says Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping by video link on Friday, the Kremlin announced. Putin has been looking to strengthen his partnership with Xi over multiple issues like the war in Ukraine as well as trade relations between the two countries.

"It will be very important to exchange views on the most acute regional problems, which are both those that are closer to us, to Russia, and those that are closer to China," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday when asked about the upcoming talk between the two leaders.

"In the spirit of a real strategic partnership, our leaders will discuss these problems," Peskov added.

Since the beginning of the crisis in Ukraine, the United States and the European Union has imposed tough sanctions on Russia. While the Kremlin decided to stop oil and gas supply to Europe, China has emerged as a major importer of Russian oil. The trade between the two countries has gone up quite a bit in the recent times and China has even decided to not criticise Russia on the global stage.

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Earlier this month, Russia and China conducted joint naval drill in response to the "aggressive posturing in the Asia-Pacific region” by the United States military. Both countries have routinely criticised the US for “interfering” in the politics of the region –when it comes to Ukraine and Taiwan.

In a bid to increase the oil exports to China, Putin inaugurated a gas field in eastern Siberia last week which will be able to meet the demands efficiently. On the other hand, the Kremlin has also decided that total oil production will go down by seven per cent following the oil price cap imposed by the EU.