By Anastasia Lyrchikova and Maxim Rodionov MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin offered the U.S. the opportunity for joint exploration of the country's rare earth metals deposits, as well as the supply of aluminum to the U.

In an interview broadcast on Monday, President Vladimir Putin said U.S. companies stood to profit in Russia, but suggested a Ukraine peace deal was still far off.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has held a call with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and said he was pleased with Moscow’s efforts to hold a summit with the U.S. toward ending the war in Ukraine