Xi and Putin's Moscow talks raise concerns over China's role in Ukraine peace.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed their alignment across a host of issues and shared mistrust of the United States in a lengthy statement following talks between the two leaders in Moscow this week. The meeting left no question about Beijing’s commitment to developing its rapport with Moscow, despite Putin’s growing isolation on the global stage as its devastating war continues into its second year. The meetings yielded no breakthrough on resolving the conflict in Ukraine, but instead focused on promoting a “multipolar world” and countering the influence of Western values and rules.