HONG KONG, August 4. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky would like to hold direct talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the topic of the conflict in Ukraine and calls on China to influence Russia's special military operation, according to his interview published on Thursday in the South China Morning Post.

"I would like to talk directly. I had one conversation with Xi Jinping a year ago," Zelensky said, adding that the Chinese leader spoke warmly of bilateral ties then. After February 24, he said, Kiev formally requested talks with Beijing. "But we haven't had any conversation with China even though I believe that would be helpful," Zelensky pointed out.

The president said that China is "a very powerful state and a powerful economy, so it can politically, economically influence Russia." Zelensky stressed that without the Chinese market Russia would feel itself in complete economic isolation. At the same time, he said he understood Beijing's desire to maintain a "balanced" attitude toward the events in Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian leader pointed out that he would like China to reconsider its attitude towards Russia.

When asked if he would welcome Beijing's help in rebuilding the destroyed infrastructure in his country, Zelensky said he hoped that "China, Chinese business" and "the whole world" would contribute to the process.

After February 24, China refrained from condemning Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. Beijing was confident that the West played an important role in fomenting animosity toward Russia in Ukraine and the conflict between the two countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation. He stressed that Moscow's plans did not include the occupation of Ukrainian territories.