“Zelensky hears ‘respect’ from China during phone call with Xi Jinping, asks for help with prisoner return: Latest updates from Ukraine-Russia conflict”

29.04.2023

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that he had heard “respect” for principles such as territorial integrity and the UN Charter during his phone call with Xi Jinping a few days ago. He also revealed that he asked China to help facilitate the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war and “kidnapped children” . At the same time, Russia launched a new round of shelling in Ukraine on Friday, and Kiev said it was ready to counterattack.

(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky once againA recent phone call with Chinese President Xi JinpingPositive feedback was given. He said at a news conference on Friday,In this telephone conversation, the two sides talked about Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the UN Charter-“We heard (China) respect for all these principles.” Zelensky emphasized that this is very important.

The 45-year-old Ukrainian president also revealed that he spoke toXi JinpingHe proposed to ask China to help exert influence on Moscow to facilitate the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war and “kidnapped children”. According to Uzbekistan, “nearly 20,000 children” were involved. Only about 360 of them have been repatriated to Ukraine so far.

Zelensky said: “I frankly say that the only one who is helping our Ukrainian children to return home is Ukraine itself.” Although the United Nations has also made efforts, it has had little effect. So he also asked Xi Jinping for help in this regard. “We have to get all parties involved in order to put pressure on the Russian aggressors and the terrorists who are kidnapping our children.”

On Wednesday, Zelenskiy and Xi Jinping had their first phone call since the war in Ukraine began 14 months ago. Prior to this, during Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia in March, he had already held face-to-face talks with Putin. Critics accuse China of tacit support for Moscow, but Kiev has so far been careful not to level such accusations against Beijing.

Russia launches new round of attacks

Meanwhile, Russia struck cities across Ukraine on Friday, killing 26 people, including five children. The new round of attacks included the historic city of Uman in the center of the country, where an AFP reporter saw rescuers exhuming victims’ bodies from the rubble in a bombed-out residential area.

The new wave of missile strikes ends a weeks-long standstill after Russian forces paused their offensive over the winter aimed at crippling Ukraine’s energy supply network.

In addition to Uman, Russian missiles also concentrated on the inner city of Dnipro. The south-central Ukrainian city has yet to recover from the trauma of a January bombing of a building that killed more than 40 people before it was hit again.

Meanwhile, authorities in the southern region of Kherson also said on Friday that Russian troops shelled the small town of Bilozerka, killing one person and wounding three.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the latest Russian attack and vowed to fight back. “Only the ultimate demon would carry out such a terrorist attack on Ukraine,” he said in Friday evening remarks.

Earlier in the day, Ukrainian Defense Minister Resnikov also told the media that the armed forces of the countryThe counterattack plan is ready. “As long as God is willing, as long as the weather conditions allow and the commander’s determination is determined, we will do it,” he said.

(AFP, DPA)

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