Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is open to dialogue on Ukraine, however, the negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including Russia's.

In an interview with Chinese news agency Xinhua, also published on the Kremlin's website, Putin said that Russia is seeking a "comprehensive, sustainable and just settlement of this conflict by peaceful means."

The Russian president stressed that dialogue with Ukraine should include a "substantive discussion" on global stability and security guarantees for "Russia's opponents and, naturally, for Russia itself." 

However, he said that these guarantees must be reliable, hinting that ambiguity surrounds this reliability as Russia is dealing with countries "whose ruling circles seek to substitute the world order based on international law with an order based on certain rules." 

Chinese efforts on Ukraine 

When asked by Xinhua about his opinion of China's stance and efforts regarding the political settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, Putin emphasized, "We commend China's approaches to resolving the crisis in Ukraine. Beijing is well aware of its root causes and global geopolitical significance."

The Russian president stressed that the ideas and suggestions included in Beijing's 2023 position paper on Ukraine "show the genuine desire" of Russia's "Chinese friends to help stabilize the situation." 

He added that the steps proposed by Beijing to resolve the Ukrainian conflict could form the basis for the political and diplomatic process which would take into consideration Russia's security concerns and help in reaching a "long-term and sustainable peace." 

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Russia and China

The Russian president said that Russia and China have similar or "coinciding positions" on major issues on the international agenda. 

He added that Russia calls for the "primacy of international law, equal, indivisible, comprehensive and sustainable security at both the global and regional level with the UN's central coordinating role."

Putin said that the future of relations between Russia and China is determined by their common desire to build a fair world order and their desire for development and prosperity. 

He further said that he is addressing the Russian-Chinese joint efforts to strengthen the sovereignty and defend the territorial integrity and security of their countries. 

"In a broader sense, we are working to contribute to the development and prosperity of Russia and China by enhancing equal, mutually beneficial economic and humanitarian cooperation, and strengthening foreign policy coordination in the interests of building a just multipolar world order," he added. 

Russia and China made a correct choice a long time ago to establish equal and mutually beneficial economic relations, Putin explained, adding that both countries are putting effort into developing cooperation in the energy sector. 

More than 90% of Russian-China trade in national currencies

In the last five years, trade exchange between both countries has doubled increasing from $111 billion in 2019 to $227.8 billion last year with more than 90% of bilateral trade transactions made in the two national currencies, he emphasized. 

The Russian president also stressed that Russia and its partners are not satisfied with the situation in the world, as the West "has usurped the right" to tell other nations who they can or cannot cooperate with, while taking away their right to choose on their own. 

However, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS group have proven to be fundamental pillars of the emerging multipolar world. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in China on May 16 and 17 to discuss various issues including the situation in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Asia.