Putin thanks China’s Xi for his ‘balanced’ stand on Ukraine

SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked Chinese leader Xi Jinping for his “balanced” approach to the Ukrainian crisis and blasted Washington’s “ugly” policies at a meeting that followed a major setback for Moscow in the war. Putin and Xi met in Uzbekistan on the sidelines of the eight-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Speaking at the start of talks with Xi in Uzbekistan, Putin said he was ready to discuss unspecified “concerns” by China about Ukraine. A Chinese government statement after the meeting didn’t specifically mention Ukraine, but said Xi promised “strong support” to Russia’s “core interests.” Beijing uses “core interests” to describe issues such as national sovereignty and the ruling Communist Party’s claim to Taiwan.