Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held an informal meeting in Moscow on Monday.

The Chinese president is on a three-day state visit to Russia. This is his first visit since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

At the beginning of the talks, Putin referred to a document released by China last month calling on Russia and Ukraine to seek dialogue and a ceasefire. Putin said that he has "carefully studied" China's proposals on resolving the acute Ukraine crisis.

Putin expressed his willingness to discuss the matter at a summit scheduled for Tuesday, taking into consideration China's proposals.

Xi noted, "China and Russia are each other's biggest neighbor and comprehensive strategic partner."

He added both countries see their relationship as a high priority in their overall diplomacy and policy on external affairs. He said that each country can achieve its goals through bilateral cooperation.

Attention is now focused on how the two leaders will address the Ukraine crisis at a formal summit meeting on Tuesday.