Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met a Chinese envoy this week to discuss the possibility of ending Moscow’s war in the neighboring country. The details of the meeting are not known and the next steps in this direction are still unclear.
For two days, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba discussed with envoy Li Hui “ways to stop Russian aggression”, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Kuleba briefed Li, China’s former ambassador to Russia, on “principles for restoring a stable and just world based on respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Kuleba, according to a Foreign Ministry statement, reiterated the government’s position that Ukraine will not accept any proposals related to losing its territories or “freezing the conflict”.
The statement does not specify what the representative of the People’s Republic of China responded to this.
The Chinese government declares its neutrality, wishing to play the role of mediator in the resolution of the conflict, but politically supports the position of Moscow. In February, Beijing unveiled its own peace plan, but Ukraine’s allies rejected nearly every point, insisting on a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from the country.
China’s Foreign Ministry said Li will also visit Poland, France and Germany.
Political scientists do not pin their hopes on a quick conclusion of a peace agreement, because neither Ukraine nor Russia are ready to end hostilities.
Xi Jinping’s government sees Moscow as a diplomatic partner in resisting US domination on the world stage. Beijing has refused to criticize the invasion and has used its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to repel diplomatic attacks on Russia.
African countries have also proposed a peace initiative in connection with the war in Ukraine. The South African president said on Tuesday that Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had agreed to separate meetings with a delegation of leaders from six African countries to discuss a possible peace plan.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Putin and Zelenskyy had agreed to lead an “African leaders’ peacekeeping mission” to Moscow and Kiev, respectively.
Ramaphosa did not give a timetable or set any parameters for possible peace talks.
The Kremlin wants Kiev to recognize Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula and the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk and Zaporizhzhia, which most countries around the world have condemned and recognized as illegal. Ukraine rejected these demands and ruled out any negotiations with Russia until the occupation troops were withdrawn from all annexed territories.
Zelenskyy’s 10-point peace plan also includes convening a tribunal to prosecute crimes of military aggression, which would hold Russian authorities accountable for the invasion.
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