2023-04-26 11:41:00
“Dialogue and negotiation” are the “only way out” of the conflict with Russia, the leader further assured, according to CCTV.
For his part, the Ukrainian president said he had a “long and significant” meeting with his Chinese counterpart, in a tweet confirmed by the Ukrainian presidency to AFP.
He also said he hoped for “a powerful impetus from the development of bilateral relations” between Kyiv and Beijing.
The conversation between the two heads of state lasted “almost an hour”, spokesman for Mr. Zelensky, Serguii Nykyforov, told AFP.
This is the first known exchange between the two men since the start of the war in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Their last call was in July 2021.
Ukraine’s president had wanted to talk to Xi for months in hopes of making China’s stance on the Russian invasion more favorable to Kiev, but experts said Beijing was unresponsive to Ukraine’s proposals.
Volodymyr Zelensky had deemed it “necessary” last February to “work” with China to work towards a resolution of the conflict with Russia.
In March, he reiterated his wish to dialogue with his Chinese counterpart on this subject and said he was “waiting for a response” from him.
China announced on Wednesday that it would send a delegation to Ukraine to seek a “political settlement” to the conflict.
“The Chinese side will send a special representative of the Chinese government, in charge of Eurasia, to Ukraine and other countries to conduct in-depth exchanges with all parties towards a political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis,” the official said. Ministry of Foreign Affairs at a press conference.
Beijing had published a 12-point document in February presenting its position on the conflict in Ukraine. The initiative, sometimes seen as a peace plan, notably urges Moscow and kyiv to hold talks.
The text also opposes any recourse to nuclear weapons and calls for respect for the territorial integrity of all countries – also implying that of Ukraine, part of whose territory is under Russian control.
Beijing did not recognize the integration of four territories of the Ukrainian Donbass into the Russian Federation in September and had not done so either in 2014 when it annexed Crimea.
China, which has not publicly condemned the war in Ukraine, has greatly increased its political and economic cooperation with its Russian neighbor in recent months.
Turbulent during the Cold War, Beijing-Moscow relations have been significantly strengthened in recent decades to form a common front against the influence of the United States.
Xi Jinping traveled to Moscow a few weeks ago to reaffirm his partnership with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During a visit to China in early April, French head of state Emmanuel Macron urged the Chinese leader to “bring Russia to its senses” vis-à-vis Ukraine and urged him not to deliver weapons to Moscow.
Zelensky appoints ambassador to China after meeting with Xi
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Wednesday the appointment of a former minister as ambassador to China, following his meeting with Xi Jinping. According to a decree issued by the presidency, Mr Zelensky appointed 57-year-old former Minister of Strategic Industries Pavlo Ryabikine to the post of ambassador, which had been vacant since February 2021.
Moscow reacts
Russia on Wednesday accused Ukraine of “undermining peace initiatives” by refusing dialogue with Moscow, after the first call since the start of the war between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, an ally of the Kremlin.
“Ukrainian authorities and their Western backers have already demonstrated their ability to undermine peace initiatives,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Paris “encourages any dialogue” that promotes peace
France “encourages any dialogue” likely to “contribute to a resolution of the conflict” in Ukraine “in accordance with the fundamental interests” of Kiev and “international law”, the Elysee Palace said on Wednesday after the call between the Chinese and Ukrainian presidents. .
“This is the message conveyed by the President of the Republic during his state visit to China”, underlined the entourage of Emmanuel Macron. During this trip in early April, Paris said that Chinese President Xi Jinping had said he was ready to call his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky when the time came, without setting a date.
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