Xi Jinping Calls Putin Amid Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine, Pushes Negotiations To Overcome Crisis

President China Xi Jinping. (Wikimedia Commons/Palácio do Planalto)

JAKARTA - Chinese President Xi Jinping had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday afternoon amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"China supports Russia and Ukraine in overcoming this crisis through negotiations," Xi said in a written statement sent by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

According to the top leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC), basically his country highly respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and adheres to the principles contained in the United Nations Charter.

Xi urged all sides to abandon the Cold War mentality.

"The Ukraine issue must be resolved through negotiations in order to create a balanced, effective and sustainable security mechanism," the top Chinese military leader said.

Xi Jinping also expressed his gratitude for Putin's presence at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Beijing on February 4.

Meanwhile, Putin has complained to Xi Jinping that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has long ignored Russia's security concerns.

NATO, he continued, also repeatedly reneged on its commitments and continued to deploy its military eastward towards the Russian demarcation line.

"Russia is willing to have talks with Ukraine," Putin told his colleague.