Zelenskyy and Xi hold first talks since Russian invasion

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke for nearly an hour over the phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping [Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters]

Chinese President Xi Jinping has spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Beijing saying it wanted to send an envoy to Kyiv to serve as a mediator to pursue a “political settlement”.

The phone call on Wednesday lasted nearly an hour and was “long and meaningful”, according to the Ukrainian president.