China's Xi to visit Putin in Moscow next week: report

Chinese President Xi Jinping will reportedly visit Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as next week.

Neither the Kremlin nor Beijing have confirmed the visit, Reuters reported, though its reporting follows an earlier announcement from the Kremlin that the two countries had arranged for Xi to visit Russia at some point.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was not forthcoming with details, instead saying "[w]hen there is such readiness, we will let you know."

The state visit follows China's release of a peace plan for the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War and Beijing's recent negotiation of a diplomatic treaty between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

China shocked the world earlier this month with a surprise announcement that it had successfully negotiated a deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran wherein the two nations would establish embassies and resume normal diplomatic relations.

That arrangement may serve to grant China some credibility as it seeks to negotiate a ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, though its diplomatic support for the latter throughout the conflict has many western nations concerned about China's viability as an intermediary party.

The move further comes amid rumors that Beijing may soon provide Moscow with critical military aid to perpetuate its war in eastern Ukraine. While China has not outright endorsed the invasion, the two nations have grown closer amid intense western pressure over a range of matters, including Chinese claims to sovereignty over Taiwan.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.