Russia's President Vladimir Putin holds a video call with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Moscow on February 4, 2026. [AFP]

China's President Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin hailed the strengthening of bilateral ties in the face of a "turbulent" global situation, in a video call on Wednesday.

Several hours later, Chinese state media said Xi held a phone call with US President Donald Trump, without immediately providing further details.

China and Russia have sought to present a united front against the West, with ties deepening since Moscow's 2022 Ukraine invasion.

The Xi-Putin call, which a Kremlin aide said lasted nearly an hour and a half, came ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia's military campaign later this month.

Moscow has increasingly relied on China throughout the conflict to keep its economy afloat, faced with crippling Western sanctions.

"Since the beginning of the year, the international situation has become increasingly turbulent," Xi told Putin in a readout reported by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

"Both sides should... ensure that China-Russia relations continue to develop steadily along the right track, through deeper strategic coordination and a more proactive and effective commitment as major powers," the Chinese president said.

Addressing Xi as his "dear friend", Putin expressed a similar message, saying "the foreign policy alliance between Moscow and Beijing remains an important stabilising factor".

"The Russian-Chinese comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation is exemplary," Putin said in the video broadcast on Russian state TV.

Neither leader went into detail on what strategic areas they would deepen coordination on.

The Kremlin said Putin had accepted invitations to visit China in the first half of 2026 and attend the APEC regional summit hosted by Xi in November.

"The conversation lasted one hour and 25 minutes," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters from AFP and other media outlets, saying the call was held in a "friendly and trusting atmosphere".

Putin praised trade ties, with Moscow redirecting its exports to Asia after Western countries imposed massive sanctions on Russia over the Kremlin's Ukraine offensive.

China has never denounced Russia's war or called for it to withdraw troops, and many of Ukraine's allies believe that Beijing has provided support to Moscow.

The video call took place as Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators met in Abu Dhabi for a round of talks on ending the almost four-year war, which has turned into Europe's worst conflict since World War II.

Putin made no mention of Ukraine during the part of the call broadcast by Moscow, but the Kremlin later said Xi expressed support for the Abu Dhabi negotiations.

The pair discussed "opinions" on the United States, views that according to the Kremlin "practically matched" each other.

The Kremlin also said Putin had told Xi that Moscow intends to act "responsibly" after a key nuclear pact with the US expires on Thursday.

And "special attention was given to the tense situation in Iran", Kremlin aide Ushakov added.

Putin and Xi last met in person in September, when the Russian leader attended a massive military parade in Beijing.

Xi also visited Moscow last year, in May, for Russia's celebrations of the World War II defeat of Nazi Germany.

The call with Putin follows a series of meetings between Xi and various leaders in recent months, as he consolidates diplomatic support in the face of an increasingly unpredictable United States.

During the call, Xi reiterated his commitment to the international system with the United Nations at its core.

He has stressed the importance of the United Nations -- where China holds a permanent seat on the Security Council with veto rights -- in recent talks with leaders from France, Canada, Britain and Brazil.

Trump unveiled plans for a "Board of Peace" in January, which has sparked concerns Washington wants to rival the United Nations.

China engages with the international body even as it has objected to what it terms internal interference.

Beijing has also sought to position itself as a stable alternative to Washington, hosting Western leaders including US allies recoiling from Trump's bid to seize Greenland and tariff threats.

Leaders from France, Canada and Finland have flocked to Beijing in recent weeks, as well as Beijing's traditional ally Uruguay.