White House says Xi-Zelenskyy talks would be a 'good thing'

The White House said Thursday that talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Chinese leader Xi Jinping would be a "good thing," but warned Beijing against taking a "one-sided" view of the conflict.

"We think it would be a very good thing if the two of them talk," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters when asked about a Wall Street Journal report that the Ukrainian leader is set to talk with Xi for the first time since Chinese ally Russia invaded.

"We support and have supported" contact, Kirby said. But he cautioned against a Chinese push for a ceasefire in Ukraine, saying it would simply help Russian aggression.