Biden, Xi video call concludes after 2 hours: White House

WASHINGTON

A heavily anticipated video call between US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, concluded on Friday after nearly two hours.

The White House said the call began at 9:03 am local time (1303 GMT), and ended at 10:53 am (1453 GMT).

Biden was expected to warn Xi against aiding Russia in its ongoing war against Ukraine. The White House has yet to provide a readout of the conversation.

Russia's war against Ukraine started on Feb. 24. It has drawn international condemnation, led to financial restrictions on Moscow, and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia.

At least 816 civilians have been killed and 1,333 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, the UN said, while noting the true figure is likely significantly higher.

More than 3.27 million people have also fled to neighboring countries, according to the UN refugee agency.