Leaders call for Ukraine peace talks: On March 21, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a document signing ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow. The two heads of state signed a key political document to further the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era. In the joint statement, China and Russia highlighted their commitment to the settlement of the Ukraine crisis through peace talks. And the two nations made it clear that the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be observed and international law must be respected.