China has proposed the most reasonable peace plan so far to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today.
Beijing put forward a 12-point plan more than a year ago, which lays out broad principles for ending the war but does not go into detail. The Chinese peace plan has received a lukewarm reception at the time from both Russia and Ukraine, while the United States has said China presents itself as a peacemaker but reflects Russia’s “false narrative” and does not condemn its invasion.
“The most interesting thing for us is that the Chinese document is based on an analysis of the reasons for what is happening and the need to eliminate the causes that caused it. It is structured in a logical form, from the general to the specific,” Lavrov told reporters, as reported by the state news agency RIA.
“This plan has been criticized as vague… But this is a reasonable plan that the great Chinese civilization proposed for discussion.”
Lavrov is due to meet his Chinese counterpart soon, and President Putin said last month he was considering making China his first foreign visit in his new six-year term.
“New Realities”
Russia says it wants to start talks on Ukraine but that would have to respond to what it calls “new realities” on the ground, where its forces control a fifth of Ukraine and Moscow claims four areas as its own.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed their own peace plan, which calls for an end to hostilities and Russia’s complete withdrawal from all occupied territories.
Moscow, praising China’s peace plan, wants to show it is open to peace talks, while attacking Zelensky’s peace initiative, which Lavrov describes as “an all-you-can-eat menu”. .
Switzerland has said it is ready to host a conference based on Zelensky’s peace plan, but Russia has called the initiative meaningless, saying it is doomed to failure without Moscow’s involvement.
Source: RES-MPE
#Russian #Foreign #Minister #Chinas #peace #plan #reasonable
