Russian leader Vladimir Putin rebuffed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s call for a face-to-face meeting, saying there was “no point.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin had warm words for "old friend" Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, describing their relationship in personal terms and dismissing the notion that the war in Ukraine had driven a Russian "pivot" toward the East Asian power.

By Vladimir Soldatkin and Andrew Osborn ST PETERSBURG, Russia, June 5 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he currently saw no reason to meet Volodymyr Zelenskiy after the Ukrainian president published an open letter proposing they hold face-to-face talks to agree an end to a war now in its fifth year.

At the St. Petersburg economic forum, business and political elites said Russia faced a choice of halting the conflict or sacrificing more. Vladimir Putin seemed to signal more war.

In a speech to the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin accused the West of undermining the global economy and finances with unilateral sanctions.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping hailed ties with Russia as a force for “calm amid chaos” during a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday, days after Xi hosted President Donald Trump for a landmark US-China summit.

After 26 years in power, age is beginning to take its toll,” President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine wrote of his Russian counterpart, bragging of a recent strike on St. Petersburg.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw the signing of over 40 cooperation agreements in trade, technology, and media on Wednesday and praised each other as friends.

Russian President Vladimir Putin underscored the enduring strategic partnership between Russia and India during a discussion on military and technical cooperation at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).