evidence: Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in a virtual meeting Friday that their partnership was more important than ever in the face of "unprecedented pressure" from the West, as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine leaves it increasingly isolated on the global stage. [...] Xi echoed Putin’s message of unity, saying that the two countries should "strengthen strategic coordination" and "inject more stability into the world," according to Chinese state media Xinhua. [...] Xi had already shown hints of impatience when he last met with Putin in September at a regional summit in Uzbekistan. At the time, Putin conceded Beijing had "questions and concerns" over the invasion, in what appeared to be a veiled admission of their diverging views.