STORY: Russian President Vladimir Putin called Chinese President Xi Jinping his “dear friend” as he praised the relationship between their countries and welcomed Xi to Russia for the opening of the BRICS summit.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping discussed the war in Ukraine and relations with the West at length on the first day of the BRICS summit, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

Representing 41.1% of the world’s population and 37.3% of its GDP, the bloc aims to counterbalance United States-led Western alliances.

Russia wants the BRICS summit to showcase the rising clout of the non-Western world, but Moscow's partners from China, India, Brazil and the Arab world are urging President Putin to find a way to end the war in Ukraine.

Xi and Putin earlier met at the July Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Kazakhstan. They also met in Beijing in May during the Russian president’s first foreign visit since his inauguration for a fifth presidential term where they vowed to intensify cooperation against “containment” by the U.S.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he wanted the Ukraine conflict to be resolved "quickly" and peacefully as he met President Vladimir Putin at a summit of major emerging economies on Tuesday.

The leaders discussed Russia's war against Ukraine, the BRICS agenda, and bilateral relations. Russia hopes to increase cooperation with China on "all international platforms," Putin said.