Regarding The Russia-Ukraine War, Chinese President: We Will Not Sit Silent, Spread Oil Into The Fire, Especially Looking For Profits

Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit to Russia. (Source: Vladimir Astapkovich/RIA Novosti via Kremlin)

JAKARTA - Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time spoke with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky by telephone since last year's Russian invasion on Wednesday, after Kyiv waited for months.

President Zelensky immediately signaled the importance of an opportunity to open closer ties with Russia's most powerful ally, appointing the former cabinet minister as Ukraine's new ambassador to Beijing.

Drawing the phone call as "long and meaningful", President Zelensky wrote on Twitter: "I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine's ambassador to China, will provide a strong impetus for the development of our bilateral relations," as reported by Reuters on April 26.

Meanwhile, President Xi told President Zelensky China would send special representatives to Ukraine and hold talks with all parties to seek peace, Chinese state media reported.

Self-resistance did not denounce Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Xi Jinping made a state visit to Moscow last month, promoting 12 points of a peace plan to end the war that Kyiv welcomed but was seen as skeptical by the West.

China will focus on promoting peace talks and making ceasefire efforts as soon as possible, President Xi told President Zelensky, according to Chinese state media reports.

I had a long and meaningful phone call with 🇨🇳 President Xi Jinping. I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine's ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations.

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 26, 2023

"As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible major country, we will not sit still, or pour oil into the fire, let alone seek profit from it," Xi said.

The White House welcomed the call, which it said had no further knowledge, but said it was too early to say whether it would lead to a peace agreement.

"That's a good thing. Now, whether it's going to lead to some kind of meaningful peace movement, or plans, or proposals, I don't think we know about it right now," said White House national security spokesman John Kirby.

The Russian-Ukraine war has been going on for about 14 months, with Kyiv preparing to launch a counter-attack in the coming weeks or months, after a Russian winter attack that has only made gradual progress, despite the bloodiest fighting so far.

So far, no peace talks have been seen, with Kyiv demanding Russia withdraw its troops, while Moscow insists Ukraine must recognize its claim to have annexed the captured territory.

Ukrainian officials have long asked Beijing to use its influence in Russia to help end the war.

China says it is positioned to help mediate the conflict because it is impartial.

"What China has done to help resolve the Ukraine crisis has been recognized," said Yu Jun, deputy head of the Department of Eurasia of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Separately, responding to talks by Chinese and Ukrainian leaders, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova said: "We are recording the readiness of the Chinese side to make efforts to build a negotiation process."