Putin expresses gratitude to Xi for China's initiatives to resolve the Ukraine conflict

BEIJING (AP) — Russia's Putin expressed gratitude to Xi Jinping for China's initiatives to resolve the Ukraine conflict at their Beijing summit Thursday where the Chinese leader said China hopes Europe will return to peace and stability soon and that China will play a constructive role. China last year offered a broad plan for peace outlining general principles for ending the war in Ukraine, and didn’t offer new specifics on how Beijing might be prepared to engage with both sides of the conflict. "China hopes for the early return of Europe to peace and stability and will continue to play…