Political resolution of Ukraine crisis urged

Xi advocates early cease-fire during meeting with Orban in Beijing

President Xi Jinping said on Monday that a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis and an early ceasefire are in the best interest of all parties, and urged the international community to create conditions for direct dialogue and negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

Xi made the remarks during a meeting in Beijing with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who arrived in the Chinese capital on Monday morning. "Peace mission 3.0" is how Orban captioned a picture posted on social media platform X soon after his arrival in Beijing.

Orban's visit to the Chinese capital comes on the heels of his trips last week to Moscow and Kyiv, where he proposed that Ukraine consider agreeing to an immediate cease-fire with Russia.