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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks in an interview with AFP at the presidential palace in Kyiv on May 17, 2024.
CNN
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he wants to work with countries like China that have “influence on Russia” as his country faces new attacks from Moscow, saying Beijing will not be involved in next month’s peace talks. I encouraged them to attend.
Zelenskiy said Chinese leader Xi Jinping assured him in a phone call that Beijing supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity, but he did not say when the exchange took place.
He spoke in an interview with news agency AFP aired on Friday, shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two-day visit to China. Meanwhile, the two countries pledged deeper strategic cooperation.
The Chinese government has never condemned Russia’s invasion in February 2022, instead insisting on neutrality in the conflict and vaguely announcing a clear position on the 12-point resolution. Ahead of peace talks scheduled for next month in Switzerland, President Xi called for negotiations that take both sides’ positions into consideration.
Involving global players like China is crucial. Because “they have influence in Russia, and the more such countries come to our side…the more Russia will have to move, [more countries] That should be considered,” Zelenskiy said.
“They support us, but we don’t know yet what they will do,” he said, noting that Xi had given them assurances about territorial integrity over the phone. The only known telephone conversation between Zelenskiy and the Chinese leader was in April last year.
President Zelenskiy said he wants to meet China at international talks to be held in Switzerland next month, aimed at paving the way for a peace process in Ukraine. The summit has so far attracted delegations from more than 50 countries, Reuters reported Thursday, citing Swiss President Viola Amheld.
Sergei Bobilov/Pool/AFP/Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping attend an official welcome ceremony in front of the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, May 16, 2024.
China has not committed to participating in the event, but its ambassador to Switzerland, Wang Shiting, said in March that the Chinese government was considering participating.
Russia has not been represented in any of the previous four closed-door international peace talks, and will not participate this time either. China participated in the conference hosted by Saudi Arabia, an increasingly close strategic partner.
During a recent six-day tour of Europe, President Xi refuted allegations that his country was supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine, saying China was “against it.”[s] It will use the Ukraine crisis to evade responsibility and smear third countries, sparking a new Cold War. ”
But he joined French President Emmanuel Macron in calling for a global Olympic truce, which would see a suspension of fighting in all conflicts during the upcoming Paris Summer Olympics.
However, President Zelenskiy expressed skepticism about the cease-fire proposal, saying it did not provide enough guarantees against Russia’s advance.
“I said to Emanuel that even if we imagine that there is some kind of Olympic Truce period of two weeks and everyone stands still, it is impossible for Russia to take advantage of this time to bring troops into our territory. I can guarantee you not,” Zelenskiy said. AFP.
“While we do not counterattack them and deter them with artillery fire, we risk bringing more heavy equipment into our territory, even in areas where they have advanced.”
