US President Donald Trump has acknowledged Kyiv’s readiness for a “deal” to end the Russia-Ukraine war, but it takes two to tango. He is now signaling to China, urging joint efforts to persuade Vladimir Putin to reach a peaceful resolution.

Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed ties with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, as the two face a more geopolitically assertive US government led by Donald Trump, who criticised the Kremlin's war against Ukraine on the first day of his second term as president.