27/04/2023 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 26 April, the European Commission spokesperson welcomed the phone call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Chinese President Xi Jinping, which is the first since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “This is an important and long overdue first step by China in fulfilling its responsibilities as a member of the UN Security Council”, he said. He said Chinese leaders should use their influence to get Russia to end its war of aggression, restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity and respect its sovereignty as the basis for a just peace. A European source welcomed the fact that “communication channels are open”. They said the EU was taking note of China’s intention to send a special envoy, including to Ukraine, and was awaiting further details on this initiative. (CG)