BEIJING -- China has advocated resolving the Ukraine crisis through dialogue and negotiation from the very beginning, and is pleased to see all efforts towards a ceasefire as a necessary step towards peace, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday.

Mao made the remarks at a regular news briefing when asked to comment on the phone call between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.

The White House said in a statement that the two leaders agreed that the three-year Ukraine conflict needs to end with a lasting peace, and the two leaders stressed the need for improved US-Russia relations.