Xi Jinping says he is ready to phone Zelenskyy, von der Leyen calls it positive moment

A French diplomat who attended the meeting reported this to Le Parisien. 

At the same time, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was a positive sign that Xi wants to talk to his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“It was interesting to hear President Xi reiterate his willingness to talk when the conditions and time are right. I think this is a positive element,” she said at a press conference in Beijing.

As a reminder, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are currently on a visit to Beijing. At the meeting, Xi Jinping called for the start of peace talks on Ukraine as soon as possible.

• Earlier, China said that Xi Jinping does not call Zelenskyy because he is very busy, but there are frequent contacts between the countries at a lower level.