Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. The two leaders have framed their relationship as one with "no limits."

Putin welcomed Xi to the Grand Kremlin Palace on Tuesday, the second day of his three-day trip. They discussed their shared goal of providing a counterbalance to the West. They hailed what they called a "new era."

The leaders agreed that their strengthened ties do not constitute a "military-political alliance." Instead, they are focusing on economic collaboration.

Putin says Russians are ready to meet China's growing demand for energy. He also promised to support Chinese businesses interested in replacing Western firms that have left Russia in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.

Chinese officials have billed the visit as a "peace mission."

At a news conference after the meeting, Xi said, "We are always for peace and dialogue. We are firmly standing on the right side of history."

Xi has put forward a plan that includes a de-escalation and, eventually, a ceasefire.

Putin threw his support behind the proposals.

He said, "We believe that many points of China's peace plan are in sync with Russian approaches and could form the basis for a peaceful settlement."

However, Putin said Ukrainian leaders and their allies have shown little willingness to end the war. He added that the West intends to fight Russia until the "last Ukrainian."