Chinese President Xi Jinping hopes to see a fair peace agreement on Ukraine. It will be the latest step in his attempts to improve relations with Europe amid a trade war with the US, according to Bloomberg and Reuters.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has delivered a bold message during Russia’s Victory Day commemorations, calling for the elimination of the root causes of the Ukraine conflict—remarks widely interpreted as a direct swipe at NATO and Western policy.

During their May 8 meeting, Xi expressed hope for a “fair, lasting and binding peace deal that is accepted by all parties involved” through dialogue, though he did not define “fair”. The statement echoes Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s March call for a “fair and durable peace deal that is binding and accepted by all the parties concerned”.