Russia Ukraine War Live Update: Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, excludes Zelenskiy from the diplomatic campaign in Ukraine.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Chinese President Xi Jinping has undertaken a flurry of conversations with state officials, including Vladimir Putin. In the month after the invasion, Xi has met with at least eight international leaders, emphasising Beijing’s preference for discussion over conflict and sanctions. Aides to Zelenskyy ask for a meeting with Xi “very soon.” Volodymyr Zelenskiy, though, is conspicuously absent from his diplomatic effort. Xi may be hesitant to speak with Putin’s wartime foe so soon after announcing a “no boundaries” relationship with Putin on February 4.

This contrasts with Xi and at least 17 other world leaders, including all of the Group of Seven, who have met with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and, in many cases, sanctioned Russia. “China can only advise Russia to try to end the conflict in a dignified manner in order to avoid the last thing Beijing wants: the collapse of Putin’s regime and the emergence of a pro-Western government,” said Chen Shih-Min, an associate professor at National Taiwan University specialising in international security.