Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the December 15 virtual meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping would discuss international issues, including the aggressive rhetoric of NATO and the United States.

"The situation in international affairs, especially on the European continent, is very, very tense, and of course, requires discussion between the allies, between Moscow and Beijing," Peskov said.

"We see very, very aggressive rhetoric, both from NATO and from the United States of America. This requires our discussion with the Chinese side," he told reporters.

The Kremlin Spokesperson also underscored that the two counterparts would discuss regional issues, energy, and bilateral relations.

The Sino-Russian talks come after similar talks between President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden, which took place via video conference last week in which the two presidents discussed several international issues.

It is worth noting that China and Russia held their first joint exercises in the western Pacific Ocean between 17 and 23 October, the Russian Ministry of Defense said.

"The warships of the Russian Navy and the Chinese naval forces conducted the first patrol in the western Pacific Ocean from October 17-23," the Ministry said in a statement.