Xi tells Putin that road to peace talks on Ukraine will not be smooth
China's President Xi Jinping told Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday that the road to peace talks on Ukraine would not be smooth and that China would continue to uphold its "objective and fair stance" on the issue, Reuters reports.
Xi said Beijing and Moscow should closely coordinate and cooperate in international affairs and emphasized Russia's willingness to engage in negotiations over Ukraine, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said in its report on a call between the two men.
"The Chinese side has noted that the Russian side has said it has never refused to resolve the conflict through diplomatic negotiations, and expressed its appreciation for this," Xi was quoted as saying in the video call. Xi and Putin have in recent years been drawn closer by a shared distrust of the United States and its allies, highlighted by a declaration in early February of a "no-limits" strategic partnership that sent alarm bells ringing across the West.
