Vladimir Putin has welcomed his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to Moscow, just days after a warrant was issued for the Russian president’s arrest over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

The two leaders, who called each other “dear friend” and exchanged compliments during the meeting at the Kremlin, were locked in talks for more than four hours on Monday.

Mr Putin admitted he was “slightly envious” of China’s “very effective system” of economic growth, while Mr Xi said Russia had made “great strides in its prosperous development”.

The discussions are part of a three-day trip, described by both countries as an opportunity to deepen their “no limits friendship”.

However, the US criticised the visit, which came after the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant on Friday which accused Mr Putin of being responsible for abducting Ukrainian children – something Moscow denies.

Washington said the timing of the visit showed Beijing was providing Moscow with “diplomatic cover” to commit further crimes.

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But in Moscow, Mr Putin said Mr Xi’s presence was a prestigious, diplomatic triumph amid Western efforts to isolate Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.

In an article published in the Chinese People’s Daily newspaper ahead of the visit, Mr Putin took aim at the US, saying the two nations were not prepared to accept attempts to weaken them.

“The US policy of simultaneously deterring Russia and China, as well as all those who do not bend to the American diktat, is getting ever fiercer and more aggressive,” he wrote.

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Meanwhile Beijing, which insists the meeting is part of normal diplomatic exchanges between the two countries, described the visit as a “journey of friendship, co-operation and peace”.

But while the pair both talked up their “strategic partnership”, China maintained its public neutrality on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, instead positioning itself as a peacemaker.

“China will uphold its objective and fair position on the Ukrainian crisis and play a constructive role in promoting peace talks,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.

The West has claimed China was considering supplying Russia’s war machine – a move that could worsen relations with Washington and turn important European trade partners against Mr Xi’s administration.

Ukraine conflict keeps President Xi Jinping in awkward position but China still has Russia over a barrel

Dominic Waghorn

International Affairs Editor

@DominicWaghorn

It was not meant to turn out this way for Xi Jinping. We still have no idea how much warning Vladimir Putin gave him about his ill-fated invasion of Ukraine, but once under way the Chinese leader would have been hoping for a quick and decisive outcome in Russia’s favour.

We still have no idea how much warning Vladimir Putin gave him about his ill-fated invasion of Ukraine, but once under way the Chinese leader would have been hoping for a quick and decisive outcome in Russia’s favour.

That would have boded well for Mr Xi’s own plans for acquiring or reacquiring, in his mind, a chunk of neighbouring territory of his own, Taiwan.

Instead, the conflict drags on and keeps Mr Xi in the awkward position of trying to appear above the fray while doing all he can to ensure Russia still does not lose, bar, for now, supplying weapons.

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But Beijing has now seemingly gone cold on the idea. However, it has refused to condemn Moscow’s aggression and has strongly criticised Western sanctions against Moscow.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, whose planned trip to Beijing earlier this year was scrapped at the last minute following a row over alleged Chinese spy balloons, slammed the visit, saying the ICC warrant should make Mr Putin a pariah.

“That President Xi is travelling to Russia days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Putin suggests that China feels no responsibility to hold the Kremlin accountable for the atrocities committed in Ukraine,” America’s top diplomat said.

“Instead of even condemning them it would rather provide diplomatic cover for Russia to continue to commit those grave crimes.”

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Mr Putin has not commented publicly on the ICC’s arrest warrant, but his spokesman called it “null and void” on Friday.

Russia – as well as the US and China – does not recognise the jurisdiction of the court, which is based in The Hague.

It also does not extradite its citizens to face the court’s justice, meaning Mr Putin is unlikely to ever face trial there.