China and Russia “cannot be moved away” from one another, Chinese leader Xi Jinping told his counterpart Vladimir Putin 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.

President Donald Trump teased a possible meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday from the Oval Office, amid his “serious discussions" with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.

On the third anniversary of the invasion, Trump says he is talking to Moscow about an economic development deal as Washington’s posture in the region shifts.

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"Russia is open for U.S.-Russia economic cooperation and believes such cooperation is key for more resilient global economy," envoy Kirill Dmitriev, appointed on February 23, said in a statement.

The country abounds in oil and mineral wealth, but in many cases it is hard to reach and the threat of intervention from the Kremlin casts a long shadow.