Russia is willing to conduct high-level negotiations with Ukraine, Vladimir Putin told Xi Jinping during their telephone conversation this afternoon, China’s Foreign Ministry said in a press note. The two leaders’ telephonic conversation comes amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“President Xi Jinping has just spoken with his Russian counterpart on the phone. President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is willing to have high-level dialogue with Ukraine,” Hua Chunying, the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, tweeted.
President Xi Jinping has just spoken with his #Russian counterpart on the phone. President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is willing to have high-level dialogue with #Ukraine.
— Hua Chunying (@SpokespersonCHN) February 25, 2022
According to the readout of the call, Xi Jinping pointed out that the situation in eastern Ukraine has “undergone rapid changes, which has drawn great attention from the international community” and that “China supports Russia and Ukraine to resolve the issue through negotiation”.
Russia attacked Ukraine, its neighbor – a former member of the first while Soviet nation – on Thursday, sending in troops and launching devastating air raids, after weeks of diplomatic talks and threats of sanctions failed to deter Russia.
Beijing has taken a careful diplomatic line on the conflict, using ‘situation’ instead of ‘invasion’ or ‘attack’. Russia is a close ally of China.
Pointing out why he attacked Ukraine, Putin, during the call, said that “the United States and NATO have long ignored Russia’s reasonable security concerns, repeatedly reneged on their commitments, and continued to advance military deployment eastward, challenging Russia’s strategic bottom line”, the press note said.
Xi Jinping said that “China is willing to work with all parties in the international community to advocate a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept, and firmly safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law”, the note concluded.
Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow is ready to talk if the Ukrainian army lays down arms, according to news agency AFP.
(With input from AFP)
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