If Chinese President Xi Jinping really wants to work for peace in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as he himself has claimed, he must meet with all parties; The European leaders and Volodimir Zelensky agree, although they maintain great skepticism about his role as a mediator, because the Chinese peace plan mostly benefits Moscow’s interests. In any case, the Ukrainian president has invited his Chinese counterpart to visit him in Kyiv. “We are willing to see you here,” he declared in an interview with the Associated Press agency.
Xi discussed the conflict with his “dear friend” (in the words of the Chinese leader), Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a state visit to Moscow last week, though the talks showed no progress on ending the war.
Xi has not spoken to Zelensky since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February last year, but China last month released a 12-point plan for “a political resolution of the Ukrainian crisis,” calling for respect for territorial sovereignty. of the countries and reprimands anyone who threatens to use the nuclear weapon, but also proposes a ceasefire, which would freeze the presence of Russian troops in occupied Ukrainian territory and give Putin’s army more time to regroup.
Both the United States and Kyiv and the other Western allies have rejected the proposal, since China is not a valid intermediary to negotiate, since it has refused to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine has welcomed China’s diplomatic involvement, but Zelensky has said he will only consider peace deals after Russian troops leave Ukrainian territory.
Zelenski’s statements come one day before the visit of the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, to China. He will be the first Western leader to have the opportunity to discuss his initiative with Xi on Thursday and Friday. “It is important to know first-hand his position on peace in Ukraine and to convey to him that it will be the Ukrainians who will establish the conditions for the start of that peace, when it arrives,” Sánchez said during the last European Council held last week.
