The South China Morning Post reported the information.The call came ahead of Putin’s expected meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.According to Chinese media, Putin briefed Xi on recent Russia-U.S. dialogue and stressed Moscow’s commitment to maintaining close ties with Beijing.In turn, President Xi welcomed the continuation of Russian-American relations and encouraged “push toward a political solution to the Ukraine crisis.” He reportedly told Putin that China will continue to facilitate negotiations to resolve regional conflicts.On August 7, Russia and the United States agreed on a meeting between their leaders — Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Later, Putin stated that the UAE is a likely venue for talks with the U.S. president, while also calling a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy possible, but said it is “still a long way off.”The next day, Fox News reported that a meeting between U.S. and Russian leaders could take place next Monday in Rome.