China's Xi speaks with Ukraine's Zelensky for the first time since Russia's invasion.

Ukrainian President Zelensky had a "long and meaningful" phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, their first contact since Russia's war began. China confirmed the call and stated that it "always stood on the side of peace". While China has sought to appear neutral on the Russian invasion, it has never hidden its close ties to Moscow, or condemned the invasion. The likelihood of China helping to end the war appears remote, not just because Russia has shown no readiness to withdraw its forces from Ukraine's sovereign territory, but also because critics have questioned the idea of Beijing acting as a mediator.