Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi had a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron's foreign policy adviser Emmanuel Bonn. According to Bloomberg, the parties agreed to "create conditions for the start of a process of political settlement" of the situation in Ukraine.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed the phone call, while the French Foreign Ministry did not publish a message about the call on its website.

Earlier, Macron had instructed Bonn to work with Wang Yi to create a structure that could be used as a basis for future negotiations. The agency notes that it is not clear whether the proposal of the President of France has the support of Ukraine and allies.

France's attempts to work with China on a peaceful solution to Ukraine have been criticized after China's ambassador to France, Lou Shaye, rejected the sovereignty of some former Soviet republics.

In April, a number of European states criticized French President Emmanuel Macron's plan for a settlement in Ukraine because of a proposal to resort to China's mediation.

In February, China presented a 12-point peace plan. The document contains calls for a ceasefire and hostilities, avoiding an escalation of the crisis in Ukraine, as well as for the early resumption of dialogue between the Russian and Ukrainian sides.