Chinese leader Xi Jinping appealed for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and has warned “there is no winner in a nuclear war,” Chinese state media reported.

Mr Xi’s government will also send a “special representative” to Ukraine for talks about a possible “political settlement,” said a government statement reported by state TV.

China has tried to appear neutral in the war but refused to criticise Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and has blocked efforts at the United Nations to condemn it.

Mr Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a joint statement before the February 2020 invasion saying their governments had a “no limits friendship”.

Talks between Mr Xi and Mr Zelenskyy had been anticipated for weeks, after China produced a 12-point proposal to end the fighting.

The phone call was for China another step toward deeper involvement in resolving the conflict.

“Negotiation is the only viable way out,” state TV said in a report on Mr Xi’s comments to Mr Zelenskyy.

“There is no winner in a nuclear war,” the report said.

“All parties concerned should remain calm and restrained in dealing with the nuclear issue and truly look at the future and destiny of themselves and humanity as a whole and work together to manage the crisis.”

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it noted China’s willingness to engage in a peace process for Ukraine.

“We note the readiness of the Chinese side to make efforts to establish a negotiation process,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Mr Zelenskyy described the phone call as “long and meaningful” and said he hoped it would lead to increasing relations with Beijing.

“I had a long and meaningful phone call with…President Xi Jinping,” he wrote on Twitter.

“I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine’s ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations.”

Mr Xi said in early April he was willing to speak with Mr Zelenskyy.

Mr Zelenskyy had repeatedly asked Mr Xi to meet him, including after the Chinese leader visited Mr Putin in Moscow last month.

Ukraine’s presidential office said more details of what was said would be published later in the day.

AP/ABC