STORY: Russia and China want to move closer together politically and economically. This was agreed by the presidents of the two countries, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, after a meeting in Moscow on Tuesday. Xi’s position on the Russian attack on Ukraine had been awaited with tension. Putin described the Chinese proposals on the Ukraine conflict as a possible basis for a peace solution. However, Ukraine and the West must be ready for this, he says. However, according to Putin, this is not the case. The West wants to fight “to the last Ukrainian.” The Chinese agency Xinhua reported that Russia was ready for peace talks. Beijing itself has an “impartial role” in the conflict, the Russian news agency RIA reported. Putin and Xi accused the US of endangering global security and warned Washington against building a global missile defense shield. Turning to economic ties, Putin said his government will help Chinese firms replace Western firms that withdrew after Russia’s incursion into Ukraine. He also spoke to Xi about the construction of the Siberia 2 pipeline, which should pump more gas to China. Xi spoke of a “steady and healthy development” in China-Russia relations. Both countries shared political trust that has deepened, the Chinese president said. It is Xi’s first visit to Russia in four years. He is also the first leader to join Putin after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president on Friday for war crimes. However, like the US and Ukraine, China has never ratified the statute of the Hague court.