<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">China's peace plan for Ukraine could be used as a basis to end the war, Vladimir Putin has said.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But Mr Putin said the plan could be put forward only when they are ready "in the West and Kyiv".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Russian leader met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday in Moscow to discuss the conflict, and relations between the two countries.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">China's plan, published last month, does not explicitly call for Russia to leave Ukraine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Listing 12 points, it calls for peace talks and respect for national sovereignty, without specific proposals.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But Ukraine has insisted on Russia withdrawing from its territory as a condition for any talks - and there is no sign that Russia is ready to do that.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that calling for a ceasefire before Russia withdrew "would effectively be supporting the ratification of Russian conquest".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In a joint news conference after talks with Mr Xi ended, Mr Putin said: "Many provisions of the Chinese peace plan can be taken as the basis for settling of the conflict in Ukraine, whenever the West and Kyiv are ready for it."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But Russia had yet to see such "readiness" from the other side, he added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Standing alongside the Russian leader, Mr Xi said his government was in favour of peace and dialogue and that China was on the "right side of history".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He again claimed that China had an "impartial position" on the conflict in Ukraine, seeking to cast Beijing as the potential peace-maker.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The pair also discussed growing trade, energy and political ties between the two nations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"China is the leading foreign trade partner of Russia," President Putin said, pledging to keep up and surpass the "high level" of trade achieved last year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Earlier, Mr Xi called China and Russia "great neighbouring powers and comprehensive strategic partners".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to Russian state media, the two leaders also:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">&gt;Signed two joint documents - one detailing plans for economic co-operation and one on plans to deepen the Russia-China partnership</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">&gt;Reached an agreement on a planned pipeline in Siberia to deliver Russian gas to China via Mongolia</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">&gt;Agreed that nuclear war "must never be unleashed"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">&gt;Discussed their concern at the new Aukus pact - a defence agreement between Australia, the UK and US</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">&gt;Expressed concern over Nato's growing presence in Asia on "military and security issues"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are growing concerns in the West that China might provide military support for Russia.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Speaking in Brussels, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said his alliance had not "seen any proof that China is delivering lethal weapons to Russia".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But he added there were "signs" that Russia had requested weapons, and that the request was being considered in Beijing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A joint statement released by China and Russia after the meeting between the two leaders said the close partnership between the two countries did not constitute a "military-political alliance".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Relations "do not constitute a bloc, do not have a confrontational nature and are not directed against third countries", they added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mr Putin also used the press conference to accuse the West of deploying weapons with a "nuclear component" and said Russia would be "forced to react" if the UK sent shells made with depleted uranium to Ukraine. .</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The UK's Ministry of Defence said depleted uranium was a "standard component" which had "nothing to do with nuclear weapons".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mr Xi was given a fanfare welcome when he arrived at the Kremlin for a second day of talks on Tuesday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said he was "very happy" to be in Moscow and described talks with President Putin as "frank, open and friendly".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">His visit to Russia came days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Putin on war crimes allegations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The state visit was mirrored by Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's surprise visit to Kyiv - making him the first leader of Japan to visit a country in conflict since World War Two.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">President Zelensky said he will join the G7 summit in Japan in May via video link at the invitation of Mr Kishida.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He told a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that he had also asked China to get involved in talks but was waiting for an answer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We offered China to become a partner in the implementation of the peace formula," he said. "We invite you to the dialogue; we are waiting for your answer." BBC</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>