Pancake diplomacy! Russia's Putin and China's Xi bond over cooking

“The Russian and Chinese sides confirmed their interest in using national currencies more actively in reciprocal payments,” Mr Putin told journalists. He added this would “increase the stability of banks’ servicing of export and import operations while there are ongoing risks on global markets”. Russia has faced ever harsher sanctions since angering the West and Kiev by annexing Crimea in 2014 and backing separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.