Chinese President Xi Jinping backed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in promoting a political settlement in Ukraine in coordination with other parties, Reuters reported, citing China’s foreign ministry. “China believes that Russia can coordinate with other parties to push for the political settlement of the issue so as to safeguard regional and world peace and stability,” Xi told Putin in a telephone call late on Tuesday, according to the ministry statement. Xi said during the call that “the situation in Ukraine, which seems to be accidental, has the elements of the inevitable.”