China, Ukraine Foreign Ministers meet in New York

The meeting was the first between the two since the February invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the China’s Foreign Ministry said Friday.

The meeting was the first between the two since the February invasion of Ukraine by Russia — though they have held two phone calls.

On Friday, the Moscow-held regions of Ukraine are voting on whether to become part of Russia in referendums that Kyiv and its allies have condemned as an unlawful land grab.

Wang told Kuleba that the "sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected... the legitimate security concerns of all countries must be taken seriously, and all efforts that are conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis must be supported," the Ministry said in a statement.

Beijing has throughout refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as President Xi Jinping pursues a close strategic alliance with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to counter the United States.

China has repeatedly called for a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue, but has not taken action to facilitate such dialogue.

Wang also told Kuleba that "China has always been committed to promoting peace talks, never stands idly by, never adds fuel to the fire and never takes advantage of the situation for self-interests".