Ceasefire in Ukraine ‘necessary step towards peace,’ says China on Putin-Trump phone call

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Achieving a ceasefire in the Ukraine war is “a necessary step towards peace,” China said Wednesday, in response to a phone call between the US and Russia’s presidents.

"From the very beginning, China has advocated resolving the crisis through dialogue and negotiation," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters when asked about the conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

Following the phone call, Trump said that he and Putin agreed on an "immediate" ceasefire that would temporarily halt attacks "on all energy and infrastructure" amid Russia’s war on Ukraine.

“(The) Chinese side is glad to see all efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire, believing that this is a necessary step towards peace,” said Mao.

On Truth Social, Trump said the conversation, which lasted for more than two hours, was "very good and productive," hailing the agreement on the limited ceasefire.

That agreement did not appear to materialize during Tuesday's discussion, but Trump maintained that negotiations would begin quickly over the wider ceasefire proposal and peace deal to end the conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he supports a 30-day ceasefire on energy infrastructure, announced by Russian and US presidents following their phone talk.

Russia launched its "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022.