Beijing/Moscow, 17 March 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to travel to Russia next week against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, with Western powers waiting to see to what extent Beijing may be willing to lend Moscow support.

The state visit is at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin and is scheduled for next Monday to Wednesday, China's Foreign Ministry announced on Friday.

It will be the first visit by the Chinese head of state and party leader to Moscow since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In February, China suggested a ceasefire and peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in a position paper.

However, there was disappointment in Western countries that the paper did not provide for the withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied territories in Ukraine.

Most recently, Beijing reacted angrily to warnings from the US that China might be about to supply weapons to Russia.

The Kremlin said on Friday that "the negotiations will discuss current issues of the further development of relations towards an all-embracing partnership and strategic cooperation between Russia and China". In addition, cooperation in the international arena will be discussed, it said.

China is considered a close ally of Russia and the Chinese leadership has not condemned the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, but has blamed the conflict on the West.

At the same time, Beijing has so far largely complied with international sanctions against Moscow in order not to become a target of punitive measures itself.

China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Friday repeated Beijing's call for peace talks in Ukraine to be resumed, when he spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, state media reported.

Qin called for both Russia and Ukraine to exercise restraint, resume peace talks and return to the path of a political situation when he spoke with Kuleba on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.

China was willing to work with Ukraine to promote the "sustained and stable development of bilateral relations from a long-term perspective," Xinhua reported.

According to Xinhua, Kuleba thanked Beijing for its humanitarian aid.