President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping hold first call since Russian invasion of Ukraine

President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine.

The two leaders spoke for nearly two hours on Friday. According to Axios, the purpose of the video call was for the United States to try and convince China to distance itself from Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The White House stated that Biden “described the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians.”

The White House also stated that Biden “underscored his support for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.” President Xi told Biden that “conflict and confrontation are not in anyone’s interest,” and that the Ukraine crisis was “not something we want to see.” The call has been described as “direct, candid, detailed and very substantive.”

China has yet to publicly condemn or or defend Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but has quickly blamed the United States and the West. China has shown some willingness to give Russia weapons, which would create a problem as the United States continues to arm Ukraine.

Biden and Xi have “agreed on the importance of maintaining open lines of communication” in light of ongoing global conflicts.