China and Russia positioning themselves as voices of reason, calling for de-escalation of a conflict the United States is contemplating on entering — these are the optics Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin sought to project during a phone call on Thursday.

The leaders also expressed a shared position on the conflict, with both Russia and China condemning Israel's recent military actions. They criticised what they described as violations of the United Nations Charter and international legal norms.

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone call on Thursday during which both leaders condemned Israel for its strikes on Iran and agreed de-escalation was needed,