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.
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.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that during the call, which was initiated by Kyiv, Xi told Zelensky that talks and negotiation were the only way out of the war.
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