Russian President Vladimir Putin assured China’s leader Xi Jinping of his support on Taiwan and thanked him for Beijing’s backing in the Ukraine crisis, as the two leaders met for the first time since the Kremlin attacked its neighbour. “We condemn the provocations of the US and its satellites in the strait off Taiwan,” Putin said at his meeting with Xi in Uzbek city of Samarkand, according to the Interfax news agency. Putin thanked Xi for China’s “balanced position” regarding Russia’s war. “We understand your questions and concerns in this regard and are of course ready to present our positio…