Putin to meet Chinese president next month

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next month.

According to details, this is Putin's first foreign visit since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him.

The Russian president will attend the third Belt and Road Forum at the invitation of Xi Jinping during a high-level visit to Moscow in March.

Nikolai Petroshev, a close ally of Putin and the secretary of Russia's Security Council, said: “Russia and China should deepen cooperation in view of the West's efforts to control both of them”.

It is pertinent to note that trade between China and Russia has increased since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russia has sold large amounts of oil to Asian powers, including China that it cannot sell to Western countries due to sanctions.

Notably, ICC has issued a warrant for Putin's arrest due to the illegal transfer and deportation of children from the occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia.