Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Chinese President Xi Jinping had their first known communication since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war on Wednesday.
Volodymyr Zelensky expressed confidence that the "long and meaningful" conversation will help the ties between Ukraine and China to advance.
According to CNN, Andrii Yermak, the director of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, referred to the phone call as "an important dialogue" in a Telegram message.
State-run CCTV said that Xi Jinping has acknowledged dispatching an ambassador to Ukraine to engage in "in-depth communication" with every side to find a political solution to the Ukrainian conflict.
According to the presidential office of Ukraine, more information on what was stated will be revealed later in the day.
Провів тривалу змістовну телефонну розмову з Головою 🇨🇳 Сі Цзіньпіном. Вірю, що вона, а також призначення Посла України в Китаї дасть потужний поштовх розвитку наших двосторонніх відносин.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 26, 2023
Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry, praised China's strategy but was critical of Ukraine's stance.
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She criticized Kyiv for rejecting "any sound initiatives aimed at a settlement." She complimented Beijing for its "readiness" to make efforts toward establishing peace discussions to end the Russia-Ukraine war, per AP News.
After China issued a 12-point plan to stop the war, talks between the two leaders had been expected for weeks. China took another step with the phone conversation toward a greater level of participation in settling the Russia-Ukraine war.
Xi Jinping Maintains Neutrality But Friendly Towards Putin
China has not yet condemned the Russian incursion, maintaining its neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine war.
Xi Jinping recently paid a state visit to Russia, where he addressed Vladimir Putin as his "dear friend," unveiled a 12-point peace plan, and stressed China's alignment with history's correct direction. He did not, however, commit to providing Russia with arms, according to the BBC.
President Volodymyr Zelensky invited President Xi to Kyiv for talks shortly after this visit, pointing out that they had spoken before the war broke out in full in February 2022 but had not spoken since.
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