Chinese President Xi Jinping told Russia's Vladimir Putin on Thursday their two countries should be "friends of steel", as they pledged to raise cooperation to a new level and "decisively" counter the influence of the United States.

The two leaders, meeting in Moscow, rejected what they described as Washington’s attempt to contain them. They also hailed their friendship.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a joint statement “further deepening” their partnership following talks in Moscow Thursday – a show of solidarity in the face of global uncertainties unleashed by US President Donald Trump’s “America First” diplomacy.

Ukraine claims Russia has broken its own cease-fire more than 734 times since it took effect Thursday, Ukraine said.

Ukraine brands Vladimir Putin's Victory Day ceasefire a 'farce' as Russian forces 'breach it 700 times' - Kyiv has accused Moscow of violating the three-day ceasefire more than 700 times in its first

As the clock approached the time the Kremlin said its guns would fall silent for three days, the men at the National Guard monitoring center in eastern Ukraine had absolutely no faith in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ceasefire.