ULAN BATOR, Mongolia (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with his Mongolian counterpart on Wednesday during a five-hour working visit to a traditional friendly neighbor amid soaring tensions with Washington and NATO over a Kremlin-backed offensive in Ukraine.

Putin and Elbegdorj Tsakhia met in the capital, Ulan Bator, for discussions on increasing trade and upgrading transit links. They were to oversee the signing 13 agreements across a range of fields before Putin’s late afternoon departure.