Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
Russia and Ukraine
UN Secretary-General: China’s Ukraine plan “important contribution”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Friday evening that he intends to hold a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, a close partner of Russian President Vladimir Putin, after Beijing put forward proposals to settle the dispute.
“I intend to meet Xi Jinping. It will be important for global security. China respects territorial integrity and must do everything to ensure that Russia leaves Ukraine,” Zelensky said during a press conference.
He expressed the hope that China would not supply weapons to Russia, which the United States said Beijing was studying despite the latter’s vehement denials.
“For me, this is very important, this is the most important point,” added the Ukrainian president, adding: “I want to believe that China will be on the side of a just world, that is, on our side.”
In the same context, the spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations considered that the document published by China, on Friday, on the conflict in Ukraine is an “important contribution,” praising in particular the call not to use nuclear weapons.
“I think the plan made by the Chinese government is an important contribution. I think the call to avoid the use of nuclear weapons is of particular importance,” Stéphane Dujarric told reporters, stressing the “shared responsibility” to reach a “just peace”, which was called for by a wide majority in the assembly. General of the United Nations.
This comes as Western countries expressed skepticism about the proposal made by China, on Friday, for a cease-fire in Ukraine, and NATO said that Beijing does not have much credibility as a mediator.
Putin meets Chinese President in February 2022
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told ABC that “any proposal that could advance peace is worth considering. We’re taking a look at it.”
“But there are 12 points in the Chinese plan. If they are serious about the first point, which is sovereignty, this war could end tomorrow,” he added.
He continued, “China is trying to combine one thing with its opposite: on the one hand, it is trying to publicly present itself as neutral and peace-seeking, while at the same time defending Russia’s false narrative of war.”
Blinken added that China provides non-lethal aid to Russia through its companies, repeating the accusation that Beijing is “now considering providing lethal assistance.”
In Estonia, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters that Beijing signed an agreement with Russia just days before the start of its military operation in Ukraine a year ago.
“China does not have much credibility because it was not able to condemn the illegal invasion of Ukraine,” he said.
For her part, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that China did not offer a peace plan but some principles.
She added, “We will look at the principles, of course, but we will look at them in light of China’s bias to one side.”
On Friday, China called for a comprehensive ceasefire, a proposal Kiev rejected unless it included Russia’s troop withdrawal.
Russian soldier in Donetsk
Beijing has urged gradual de-escalation, warned against the use of nuclear weapons and said conflict benefits no one.
This largely represents a reaffirmation of Beijing’s approach throughout the war, refraining from condemning Russia or referring to Moscow’s intervention as an “invasion” while criticizing Western sanctions.
Western countries have warned that any move by China to sell weapons to Russia would have dire consequences.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told NBC he would not confirm a report by German magazine Der Spiegel that Russia is in talks with a Chinese manufacturer about buying 100 drones.
“So far, we haven’t seen China provide lethal aid to Russia, and we keep stressing why that would be a huge mistake for them,” he added.
