Russian President Vladimir Putin praised his close ties with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and said their countries are close partners in trade and international affairs as they opened bilateral talks Wednesday on his trip to Beijing.

A weakened international order under President Donald Trump, combined with rising oil prices following the American war against Iran, has emboldened President Vladimir Putin of Russia to keep pressing forward with the war in Ukraine.

China's Xi Jinping welcomed Vladimir Putin in Beijing, touted the countries' "unyielding" ties, and took a loosely veiled jab at Trump's policies.