Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed ties with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, as the two face a more geopolitically assertive US government led by Donald Trump, who criticised the Kremlin's war against Ukraine on the first day of his second term as president.

The ‘dear friends’ discuss Taiwan, the war in Ukraine, and future relations with the US, pledging to ‘defend their legitimate interests’

US President Donald Trump has the leverage to force russian dictator vladimir putin to immediately end the war against Ukraine. To do this, he needs to change

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on taking office hours before Trump's inauguration in Washington and said he was open to dialogue with the new U.S. administration on Ukraine and nuclear arms.

Moscow is open to dialogue with the administration of Donald Trump on the Ukrainian conflict. This was announced today, January 20, by Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting with permanent members of the Russian Security Council.

Dmitry Medvedev took aim at President Joe Biden on Sunday as he criticized the president's approach to the Russia-Ukraine war.

“We congratulate Donald Trump on entering the office … Moscow is open for dialogue with the United States that will be built on an equal and mutually respectful basis,” Putin said during Russia’s Security and Defense Council meeting Monday.

Putin’s forces suffer 2,000 losses in a day as Kyiv’s Nato hopes ‘hinge on Trump’ - Volodymyr Zelensky warns that Ukraine will not join Nato unless Trump supports Kyiv’s bid

Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated on Monday that the Kremlin remains open to negotiations with the United States regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine. However, Putin underscored that Russia's conditions for any peace agreement remain unchanged and continue to demand Ukraine's full capitulation.

Ben Hodges is a retired general who once served as the commander of the United States Army in Europe. He has been a prolific commentator on Russia 's war in Ukraine, which has seen Vladimir Putin 's forces sustain catastrophic casualties during almost three years of fighting.