NEAR BAKHMUT, Ukraine, April 6 (Reuters) - Ukrainian and Russian forces battled in Bakhmut, the devastated eastern city which has become a symbol of Kyiv's defiance, while seven civilians were reported killed by Ukrainian artillery strikes in Russian-controlled areas. In Beijing, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen urged Chinese leader Xi Jinping to use his influence to persuade Russia to halt the war, now in its 14th month, and come to the negotiating table. "The French diplomatic source said Macron had also urged China not to deliver arms to Russia