China's leader, Xi Jinping, lauded Russian President Vladimir Putin's "strong leadership" as he made a state visit to Moscow, expressing his crucial support for Putin over a year into the Ukraine invasion.

Leaders met in Kremlin, exchanged tributes and endorsed a Chinese peace plan to end war in Ukraine, referring to each other as "dear friend”, presenting a united front.

The Russian president praised China's involvement in mediating with Ukraine and commended their peace proposal for its fairness.

Xi and Putin's flourishing relationship was highlighted during their three-day state visit to Russia, which began on Monday (20 March) with a meeting touching on the western pressure over the war.

China has aided Russia's economy in coping with the impact of western sanctions. However, President Xi's 12-point peace plan reiterates the Kremlin's stance on the war without explicitly denouncing Putin's incursion or urging him to pull out troops.

The US, Ukraine's main ally, criticized China's peace plan by calling it a ratification of Russian conquest. The plan proposes a ceasefire that would allow Moscow to occupy Ukrainian territory and replenish its forces.

Ahead of a possible communication between China's leader and Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine refrained from criticizing the plan, despite the ongoing war that started in February last year. This would be the first time they spoke after Xi's visit to Russia.

Xi’s visit indicates China's support to Russia as both countries have common distrust towards the US and have been brought closer due to Russia's conflict with the west.

During his visit to Russia, President Xi expressed his appreciation for being the first country he visited after his reappointment for a third term. He also expressed his confidence that Putin would receive strong support in the upcoming Russian elections.

Xi and Putin have modified their constitutions to prolong their rule. Putin can stay in power until 2036 and has yet to confirm his re-election candidacy while Xi conveyed his good wishes, causing Putin to smile silently.

Putin admitted to being envious of China's significant progress in development in recent years, which has sparked global interest.

According to Putin, China's political and economic recovery from its "zero-Covid" policy is highly efficient due to its combination of market mechanism and strong political direction.