Putin heads to China to bolster ties amid Ukraine tensions
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
Associated Press
MOSCOW (AP) — American and European officials may be staying away from the Beijing Winter Olympics because of human rights concerns, but Russian President Vladimir Putin will be on hand even as tensions soar over his buildup of troops along his country’s border with Ukraine. Putin’s talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday will mark their first in-person meeting since 2019. Putin and Xi will meet one-on-one over lunch before attending the opening ceremony. In an article published Thursday by the Chinese news agency Xinhua, Putin appeared to criticize a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics by the U.S. and some of its allies.