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Putin sends ‘warm telegram’ to Chinese leader for 70th birthday — aide

Yury Ushakov said that the Chinese leader’s favorite Russian ice cream was not sent to Beijing to go with the telegram

MOSCOW, June 14. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on his upcoming 70th birthday on June 15 in a "warm telegram," Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov told reporters on Wednesday.

"June 15 is the birthday of a close friend of ours - the leader of a huge country, the People's Republic of China. And we congratulate our friend first of all," the aide said when asked whether Putin planned to congratulate former US President Donald Trump who turned 77 on Wednesday. Ushakov specified that Putin’s telegram of congratulations was "very warm."

Asked if the Chinese leader’s favorite Russian ice cream was sent to Beijing to go with the telegram, Ushakov said "No ice cream, no." "Should it have been? An omission then, not Putin’s, but our omission," he remarked with a smile.

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