If China wants to play a constructive role in Ukraine, its president, Xi Jinping, should urge Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine, John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, said on Tuesday.
Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin emerged from two days of talks on Tuesday with warm words of friendship between China and Russia and joint criticism of the West, but no sign of a diplomatic breakthrough over Ukraine.
Kirby also said the U.S. does not want to see a ceasefire in Ukraine because it would allow Russia to keep its territorial gains and let Putin regroup his forces.
"A ceasefire right now, freezing the lines where they are, basically gives him the time and space he needs to try to re-equip, to re-man, to make up for that resource expenditure," Kirby said.
(Reporting By Steve Holland and Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Leslie Adler and Jonathan Oatis)
