President Vladimir Putin welcomed his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to Russia on Tuesday, as the Kremlin head prepares to host several leaders of developing nations at an intergovernmental summit this week.

Xi, speaking at the BRICS summit in Russia's city of Kazan, called for a de-escalation in the Ukrainian crisis, and for no further expansion of the battlefield. He also called for a ceasefire in the conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza.

Noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, Xi said that over the past years the relationship between the two countries has weathered challenges.