Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced willingness to have high-level negotiations with Ukraine during phone talks Friday with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, state-run media reported, a day after Moscow launched a major attack on the former Soviet republic.

Xi told Putin that China supports Russia in efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis through dialogue, the official Xinhua News Agency said, adding the Chinese leader emphasized the necessity of respecting the legitimate security concerns of all countries.

Russia started to attack Ukraine following a months-long military buildup on their border, which was called "a full-scale invasion" by Kyiv. On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sounded out Putin on holding negotiations.

China has reiterated it understands Russia's security concerns related to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Earlier this month, Xi and Putin opposed the expansion of NATO, as Moscow has demanded that it pull back troops and weapons from Eastern Europe.