China's Xi hails Russia's 'positive efforts to defuse Ukraine crisis'

BEIJING -  Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday hailed Moscow's "positive efforts to defuse" the Ukraine crisis in a call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, state media said.

Xinhua news agency reported Xi as saying "China is happy to see Russia and relevant parties make positive efforts to defuse" the crisis in Ukraine.

Moscow and Beijing have strengthened military and trade ties since Russia sent troops into Ukraine, though China has sought to depict itself as a neutral party amid the nearly three-year conflict.

Beijing remains a close political and economic partner of Moscow and has never condemned Russia's actions, leading some NATO members to brand Beijing an "enabler" of the conflict.

Speaking of China's ties with Russia, Xi said "history and reality" show the two countries "are good neighbours that cannot be moved away, and true friends who share weal and woe, support each other and achieve common development", Xinhua reported.

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The Kremlin later said in a statement that Putin "briefed" Xi on the talks between Russian and US officials held in Saudi Arabia last week -- their first high-level meeting since Russia sent troops into Ukraine three years ago.

The Chinese side also expressed support for the start of dialogue between Russia and the US as well as its "readiness to assist the search for a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine conflict", the statement said.

Xinhua said Putin initiated the phone call.

Both sides have made much of Xi and Putin's supposedly strong personal bond, with Xi calling the Russian leader his "best friend" and Putin lauding his "reliable partner".

Monday marks three years since Putin's decision to launch what he called a "special military operation", setting off the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II.