Beijing (CNN) -- Vladimir Putin is seeking China's support in Russia's standoff with Western powers over Ukraine. In a rare phone conversation Wednesday, Putin briefed his counterpart in Beijing, President Xi Jinping, on "Russia's position on the issue and measures Russia had taken to tackle the crisis," the state-controlled Xinhua news agency reported.
President Xi said the situation in Ukraine is "highly complicated and sensitive," which "seems to be accidental, (but) has the elements of the inevitable."
He added that China believes Russia can "push for the political settlement of the issue so as to safeguard regional and world peace and stability" and he "supports proposals and mediation efforts of the international community that are conducive to the reduction of tension."
The Chinese leader's comments followed similarly guarded statements by Chinese diplomats earlier this week, which neither criticized nor supported Moscow's actions over Ukraine.
Unsurprisingly, Russia has attempted to depict China's position as more supportive than it actually is.
In describing an earlier phone call between the foreign ministers of China and Russia, the foreign ministry in Moscow said Monday that there was "a broad convergence of views between Russia and China in connection to the situation in Ukraine and around it."