According to a spokesman for Zelenky, the Ukrainian President and the Chinese head of state talked to each other for “almost an hour” on Wednesday. The phone call was “long and intense,” Zelenskyj wrote on Twitter. “I believe that the talks, like the appointment of a Ukrainian ambassador to China, will give a powerful boost to the development of bilateral relations.” After the post had been vacant since February 2021, Kiev is now sending Pavel Ryabikin to China as its new ambassador. He previously headed the Ministry of Strategic Industries.
After the call, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that Xi told Zelenskyy that “talks and negotiations are the only way out” of the war. All parties involved should remain “calm and controlled,” the broadcaster quoted the Chinese head of state as saying.
In order to reach a “political agreement” in the conflict, Beijing wants to send a high-ranking delegation to Ukraine. A special government envoy for Eurasian issues will be sent to Ukraine and other countries, the Foreign Ministry announced. The delegation should “hold detailed talks with all parties for a political agreement in the Ukraine crisis”.
After the phone call between Xi and Zelenskyy, Moscow accused the Ukrainian president of undermining any efforts for peace. “The Ukrainian authorities and their Western supporters have already shown their ability to destroy any peace initiative,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Moscow emphasized the “willingness of the Chinese side” to engage in negotiations.
According to its own statements, China is trying to maintain a neutral position in the conflict, which the West has repeatedly called into question. The government in Beijing has never officially condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine. In February, China presented a 12-point plan to resolve the conflict. However, Western powers doubted China’s role as an impartial mediator. A meeting in Moscow a few weeks ago between Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which was seen as support for Russia, fueled the criticism.
The White House in Washington welcomed the phone call between the two heads of state. “We think that’s a good thing,” said White House spokesman for the National Security Council John Kirby. However, it is still unclear whether a “significant peace initiative” will develop from this. “Should there be peace negotiations, then only when President Zelenskyy is ready (…) when he can do it from a position of strength,” he continued.
Brazil, on the other hand, called for peace talks again. “What we have to do is stop the war,” said left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during a state visit to Spain. There is no point in insisting on who is right and who is wrong. The Brazilian president came under fire after accusing western countries of prolonging the war by supplying arms.
