International

Xi Jinping has called for a ceasefire in Russia's war against Ukraine

Chinese President Xi Jinping told Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday (Jul 8) that world powers should help Russia and Ukraine re-start direct negotiations during a visit to Beijing branded a "peace mission" by the European leader, DW reports.

Orban's trip to China comes a day before NATO is due to hold a summit to mark its 75th anniversary, with setbacks in Ukraine set to dominate discussions, and follows surprise visits by the Hungarian premier to Russia and Ukraine in the past week.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV quoted Xi as saying the "international community should create conditions and provide assistance for the two sides to resume direct dialogue and negotiations".

"Only when all major powers exert positive energy rather than negative energy can the dawn of a ceasefire in this conflict appear as soon as possible," Xi told Orban, according to CCTV.

"Xi Jinping stressed that it is in the interests of all parties to cease fire and seek a political solution as soon as possible," CCTV said in a readout.

"The current focus is to abide by the three principles of 'no spillover of the battlefield, no escalation of the war, and no fuelling of the flames by all parties' to cool down the situation as soon as possible," it added.

Following the talks, Orban wrote on social media platform X that China was "a key power in creating the conditions for peace" in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Hungary took over the European Union's rotating presidency at the start of July, and the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Orban's trip to Russia was purely a bilateral affair and he "has not received any mandate from the EU Council to visit Moscow".

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