Thursday April 27, 2023 | 9:15 a.m.
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky said Thursday that the Xi Jinping regime could use its political influence over Vladimir Putin to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine and restore peace.
In a message posted on his official website, the Ukrainian leader referred to the phone call lasting more than an hour that he had with Xi Jinping on Wednesday, the first between the two leaders since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022.
“I spoke with the leader of China. It was a long and quite rational conversation. It is often said that such conversations open up opportunities. Now there is an opportunity to give a new impetus to our relations: Ukraine and China,” Zelensky said.
In his opinion, now is “the opportunity to use China’s political influence to restore the force of the principles and rules on which peace must be based.”
“Ukraine and China, as well as the vast majority of the world, are equally interested in the strength of nations’ sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.
In his message, Zelensky rejected “threats with nuclear weapons and the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the world” and said that Ukraine is interested, like China, in ensuring that the situation around the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, now in Russian hands, is finally “fully secured.”
He also said that “nuclear power facilities should never again be used for military purposes, which is exactly the kind of cynical use that Russia is trying to make.”
“It is very important that China shares our vision of freedom of navigation and trade. I briefed Xi Jinping on our efforts to restore food exports by sea. And I heard words of support for our Black Sea Grain Initiative and its extension, as well as backing for our humanitarian efforts, in particular the Ukrainian Grain program,” he stressed.
“Of course, an essential part of the conversation is our views on ways to restore a just peace. I presented the Ukrainian peace formula, its specific points. We agree to continue our communications,” the president announced.
China has raised 12 points to achieve peace that prioritize the ceasefire, the cessation of the “cold war mentality” and respect for the “legitimate security concerns of countries”, which is seen by the West as a nod to Russian demands for a neutral Ukraine outside of NATO.
kyiv considers these terms unacceptable, since they do not demand the Russian withdrawal from the occupied territories.
Zelensky, for his part, has devised a 10-point initiative that demands the Russian withdrawal, the restoration of sovereignty and guarantees for the end of the war, among other aspects.
This Thursday, the Chinese regime’s propaganda media stressed that the telephone conversation between President Xi Jinping and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodimir Zelensky, “demonstrates Beijing’s responsibility” and “its desire to promote a political solution” to the war. “from sincerity”.
According to an editorial in the pro-government Global Times newspaper, the call proves that China, “as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and as a responsible great power, wishes to promote a political solution from sincerity and disinterest.”
”China has stood firmly on the side of peace and dialogue and is always on the right side of history. Both Russia and Ukraine have welcomed our efforts to promote peace, and also the European powers expect us to play a greater role,” the editorial said.
“Even the White House welcomed the call, they said it’s good. This underscores the special value of China’s efforts in such a complex and changing situation. China can communicate directly with all parties involved, seek consensus and receive positive responses,” the outlet adds.
