Putin admits China has ‘concerns’ over Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday admitted for the first time that Xi Jinping had “concerns” about the situation in Ukraine amid a devastating counter-offensive — but praised China’s leader for his “balanced” approach to the conflict.

Putin made the remarks during his first face-to-face meeting with Xi since the start of the war, which has killed thousands of people and sent food and energy prices soaring throughout the world.

The two leaders met in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on the sidelines of the eight-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a security alliance created as a counterweight to US influence that also includes India and Pakistan.