Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin to Beijing with official ceremony, shortly after Xi hosts U.S. President Donald Trump. Multiple reports frame the visit against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, which is said to increase Moscow’s reliance on China. The outlets describe the gathering as part of a broader pattern of expanding China–Russia cooperation, while also highlighting the strategic imbalance in influence created by the conflict. Western leaders’ reported “thaw” or renewed engagement with Beijing is also mentioned as a contextual factor, with potential implications for how China and Russia manage their relationship. The articles present the central question as whether the two leaders can be described as “best friends” given differing leverage: China’s ability to shape terms through economic and diplomatic support, and Russia’s growing dependence on that support as the war continues. Overall, the coverage emphasizes the timing and symbolism of the Beijing meeting and links it to shifting power dynamics shaped by Ukraine and international relations with China.