Xi talks with Zelenskyy

BEIJING, Apr 26 (AP/AFP): Chinese leader Xi Jinping appealed for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in a phone call Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, warning "there is no winner in a nuclear war," state media said, in a long-anticipated conversation after Beijing said it wanted to act as peace mediator.

Xi's government will 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 criticize Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a joint statement before the February 2020 invasion saying their governments had a "no limits friendship."

Xi's government released a peace proposal in February and called for a cease-fire and talks.

"Negotiation is the only viable way out," state TV said in a report on Xi's comments to 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."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had a "long and meaningful" phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday-the first between the two leaders since the start of Russia's invasion.

"I had a long and meaningful phone call with President Xi Jinping," Zelensky said 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," he wrote.

Zelensky's spokesman Sergiy Nykyforov said on Facebook that the two had "an almost one hour-long telephone conversation".