Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping gorged themselves on venison, quail, sturgeon soup and pavlova at a lavish banquet to mark the Chinese President’s state visit to Moscow. The pair tucked in after one-to-one talks centred on Russia’s war on Ukraine, which Beijing has consistently refused to condemn in the year since Putin launched his invasion on February 24, 2022.
In footage of their meeting, the Russian President appeared ill-at-ease and fidgety – but it did not appear to have affected his appetite, going by a widely circulated picture purportedly showing the menu, which offered a breakdown of the courses making up their feast.
The meal began with blini – an eastern European pancake consisting of buckwheat – which was filled with quail and mushrooms.
The second course consisted of a starlet sturgeon soup, followed by a pomegranate sorbet.
They were then presented with nelma, an Arctic fish, with vegetables, plus venison with cherry sauce.
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During the course of their conversation, during which each leader referred to the other as “dear friend, Putin said: “In recent years, China has made a tremendous leap forward in its development.
“It arouses genuine interest all over the world, and even we envy you a little.”
Xi in turn said he was “convinced” his counterpart enjoyed the support of the Russian people, adding: “I know Russia will hold a presidential election.
“Under your strong leadership, Russia has made great strides in its prosperous development.
“I am confident that the Russian people will continue to give you their firm support.”
Xi is expected to present his proposals for ending the war in Ukraine today.
