By Mukhammadsharif Mamatkulov SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said he understood that Xi Jinping had questions and concerns about the situation in Ukraine but praised China’s leader for what he said was a “balanced” position on the conflict. Russia’s war has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed the global economy into uncharted waters with soaring food and energy prices amid the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the Cold War. At their first face-to-face meeting since the war, Xi said he was very happy to meet “my old …