its president Russia, Vladimir Putinwelcomes “her wish China play a constructive role in its settlement” war in Ukraineand Beijing seeks to mediate between Moscow and Kiev.

“We welcome China’s desire to play a constructive role in resolving the crisis in Ukraine,” Putin said in an article written for a Chinese newspaper and published by the Kremlin ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow.

“Russian-Chinese relations have reached the highest point in their history and continue to strengthen,” Putin said in the article. The quality of relations between Moscow and Beijing is “higher than the quality of political and military alliances of the Cold War era.”

^{Source: APE, AFP, Reuters.}