“China’s Special Envoy Li Hui Visits Kyiv as Part of European Peace Initiative for Ukraine”

Li is the first Chinese envoy to visit Ukraine since Russian forces invaded the country in February last year, and the visit is a follow-up to a telephone conversation President Xi Jinping had with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky three weeks ago.

An anonymous Ukrainian official confirms that China’s efforts to bring the parties to the negotiating table will be a topic during the talks with Li. He is doubtful that the meeting will bring results.

– The president said when he visited the Vatican that we do not need mediation for the sake of mediation, says the official. Li will get the same message, he adds.

– Ending the war with a compromise that comes at the expense of Ukraine will not work, says the official.

Xi has tried to portray China as a neutral mediator between Russia and Ukraine, but has faced criticism from several quarters because China has not criticized the invasion or stopped the sanctions against the Kremlin.