The talks on Friday come as the Biden administration has become increasingly concerned about China’s possible willingness to assist President Vladimir Putin’s invasion, which enters its 23rd day with Russia’s land forces largely at a standstill.
Antony Blinken, US secretary of state, said Biden would “make clear that China will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russia’s aggression, and we will not hesitate to impose costs”. Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, told reporters the call was a chance for Biden to see “where President Xi stands”.
Russian rockets hit the outskirts of Lviv on Friday, according to local authorities, in an attack that signalled Moscow’s willingness to expand its bombardment to Ukraine’s west.
Andriy Sadovyy, the city’s mayor, said the missiles struck an area near the airport but that no casualties were reported. The Ukrainian air force said Russia had fired six cruise missiles at the area from the Black Sea, two of which were destroyed by anti-aircraft missiles.
Western officials say Putin’s forces have made little progress in capturing territory this week, as troops have been diverted to defend strained supply lines from what UK intelligence services described as “incessant Ukrainian counterattacks “.
With Ukraine’s biggest cities still out of Russian control, Putin’s forces have increasingly relied on heavy weapons and missile attacks to grind down resistance, destroying swaths of civilian infrastructure. About 3.2mn Ukrainians have fled the country, representing roughly 7 percent of the population.
Blinken has warned there are no signs Putin is “prepared to stop” and has reiterated concerns Russia is “setting the stage to use a chemical weapon” and falsely blame Ukraine for the attack.