The diplomatic gesture is designed to show that Russia is not isolated as the leaders of France, Italy and Germany prepare to travel to Ukraine, and NATO defense ministers meet in Brussels this week to boost military aid to Kyiv. . The Kremlin said Wednesday that Xi “noted the legitimacy of Russia ‘s actions to defend its core national interests in the face of external security challenges.” He added that the conversation, which took place on Xi’s 69th birthday, was “traditionally warm and friendly”, adding that China’s relations with Russia were “at an unprecedented level”. Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency, said Xi had reiterated his previous calls to Russia and other countries to end the war, but said China was “willing to continue mutual support with Russia on issues that related to sovereignty, security and issues of great concern “. Beijing has become an important ally for Moscow, which wants to show that condemnation of Putin’s invasion of the West has not isolated Russia. But the war in Ukraine has also tested the Russian president’s ties to Xi, whom the United States claims was “upset” by the “bitter experience” of sweeping Western sanctions in response. The Chinese leader stressed in a call with Putin that China had always “independently assessed” the situation and “promoted world peace and the stability of the world economic order,” Beijing said. The comments come as the EU and NATO are expected to step up their support for Ukraine this week. Emanuel Macron, Mario Draghi and Olaf Solz will discuss Ukraine’s prospects for EU membership when they meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday. The European Commission is likely to recommend on Friday that Kyiv should receive EU candidate status, a first step towards accession, according to officials familiar with the talks. Meanwhile, NATO defense ministers will discuss further arms deliveries to Ukraine, which has complained of a lack of the large-scale, heavy-caliber artillery needed to fight advancing Russian forces in the eastern and eastern Donbass regions. On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden said the United States would provide an additional $ 1 billion in security assistance to Kyiv, including artillery, coastal defense and advanced missile systems. In a speech to the Czech parliament, Zelensky reiterated his call for more weapons and urged the EU to respond positively to Ukraine’s EU bid. “We must receive a response from the European Union – from all Member States – on the issue of the status of Ukraine. . . to prove that European integration is real and that European values ​​really work “. Macron, who had long said he was ready to go to Kyiv “when the time is right”, hinted at the possibility of an impending trip as he visited French troops deployed for NATO at a military base in the east. Romania and met the President of the country Klaus Ioannis. He said “new talks” were needed with Ukraine. “I think we are at a time when we, the EU, need to send a clear political message to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, as it has been heroically resisting for several months,” he said when asked if he was heading to Kyiv. Macron reiterated his call for possible negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to secure peace in Europe as soon as the “offensive war” started by Vladimir Putin ends. “At some point, when we have helped Ukraine to the maximum and when – I hope – Ukraine has won and especially when there can be a ceasefire, we have to negotiate, the Ukrainian president and his government have to negotiate with Russia.” said Macron. The French president has been accused by some European allies of being too submissive to Putin, saying Russia should not be “humiliated”. However, he insisted on Wednesday that he was in constant contact with Zelensky about the situation, stressing that even after the war Russia would remain a force that could not be ignored.

“Let there be common sense to say that we are not waging war against Russia,” Macron said. “The only desired outcome of the conflict is either a Ukrainian military victory or at some point a negotiation because there would have been a ceasefire, which could have allowed an agreement between Ukraine and Russia.” Additional references by Valentina Pop in Brussels, Guy Chazan in Berlin and Amy Kazmin in Rome