China and Russia “cannot be moved away” from one another, Chinese leader Xi Jinping told his counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday, in their first phone call since US President Donald Trump upended American foreign policy with a sweeping pivot toward Moscow as he pushes for peace in Ukraine.

BEIJING (AP) — China’s President Xi Jinping had a call with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Monday and said he was pleased with Moscow’s efforts to hold a summit with the U.S. toward ending the war in Ukraine, state broadcaster reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Friday during a phone call, during which the leaders praised Moscow-Beijing ties as a stabilizing force in international affairs.