China’s Ambassador to the E.U.: China is not on Russia's side in the war in Ukraine. No limit’ friendship is nothing but rhetoric," — China's Ambassador to the European Union, Fu Cong, in an interview with the New York Times

Fu Cong noted China had not provided military assistance to Russia nor recognised its efforts to annex Ukrainian territories, including Crimea and the territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions since 2014.

The ambassador said that Chinese leader Xi Jinping had not yet held a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "is not a big deal," and that the two countries often have contacts at a lower level. 

"I know people are fixated on the presidential call. The fact that President Xi [Jinping] is not speaking to [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy does not signify that China is on the side of Russia on the Ukrainian issue," Fu said.

The ambassador also said China would not provide arms for Russia to use in Ukraine ‘now or in the future’.