What We're Tracking Putin and Xi meet amid rising Ukraine tensions. Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Chinese President Xi in Beijing during Putin's trip to attend the Feb. 4 opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, where he will update Xi on the current state of talks regarding Russia's demands for security guarantees from the West. Moscow will likely seek to elicit statements of China's continued support for Russia's security concerns. By enhancing perceptions of strong Russian relations with China, Putin hopes to gain leverage in talks with the West. Russia will continue its military buildup near Ukraine as Russia prepares its formal response to the U.S. response to its demands, which could come next week. In statements to French President Emmanuel Macron on Jan. 28, Putin made clear that Moscow's biggest concerns regarding Ukraine and NATO expansion have not been fully addressed, therefore necessitating a "military-technical" response.