BEIJING — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he was "grateful" to Beijing for trying to find a solution to the war in Ukraine and hailed growing economic ties with China.

Putin was speaking at a press conference in Beijing alongside Chinese leader Xi Jinping, a day after he said his troops were advancing on "all fronts" in Ukraine.

"I will inform the President of the People's Republic of China about the situation surrounding the Ukraine crisis. We are grateful to our Chinese friends and colleagues for the initiatives they are putting forward to resolve this problem," Putin said.

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and China's President Xi Jinping exchange documents during a signing ceremony following their talks in Beijing on May 16, 2024. PHOTO BY SERGEI BOBYLYOV / POOL / AFP In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with China's President in Beijing on May 16, 2024. PHOTO BY METZEL / POOL / AFP