Putin, Xi expected to meet again amid rising tensions with the West

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are planning a meeting next week in Uzbekistan as both nations are facing rising tensions with the West. 

The leaders' second face-to-face meeting this year is scheduled for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, The Associated Press reported. The two last met during the Beijing winter Olympics in February, shortly before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This will be Xi's first trip abroad since the start of the COVID pandemic in early 2020.

The meeting comes as Putin is facing sanctions over the war in Ukraine while Xi is tackling tensions with the West over China's treatment of Uyghur Muslims and Taiwan.