China’s Xi Holds Call With Ukraine’s Zelensky
Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky by phone on Wednesday, the first known call between the two leaders since the start of Russia’s invasion. The nearly one-hour discussion, which reportedly included Xi advocating for peace negotiations, was met by Russian accusations that Ukraine was undermining efforts to end the fighting. Beijing says it is neutral in the Ukraine conflict and Xi has never condemned the Russian invasion, but the Chinese leader has come under increased pressure from Western nations to step in and mediate. READ ALSO: UK Evacuates Over 300 Citizens, Foreigners From War-Torn Sudan A 12-point “position paper” published by China in February was seen by many Western governments as skewed towards Russia, and a friendly Moscow visit in March by Xi to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin led to widespread criticism. “I had a long and meaningful phone call with President Xi Jinping,” Zelensky said on Twitter. “I beli...