French President Emmanuel Macron at a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali asked him to "pressure" Russian President Vladimir Putin to de-escalate in Ukraine and return to the negotiating table with Kiev, Bloomberg reported citing an unnamed French official.

During the meeting, Macron asked Xi Jinping to urge Russian President Vladimir Putin to de-escalate and return to the negotiating table, the agency quoted the official as saying.

The official said after the meeting between the two leaders, China's position on Russia on the conflict in Ukraine is becoming more balanced and constructive.

Macron intends to visit China when COVID-19 restrictions allow.