Ahead of a summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin next week, the United States has expressed its opposition to China’s proposal for a ceasefire in the Ukraine war.
White House National Security Council (NSC) Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said in an interview with VOA on the 17th that he would be concerned if there was a cease-fire request at the summit between China and Russia.
“While a truce sounds good, it is really ratifying Russia’s interests on the battlefield,” Kirby said.
Earlier in the day, Yuri Ushakov, a foreign affairs adviser at the Kremlin Palace, said that President Xi, who will visit Russia from the 20th to the 22nd, will be able to meet with President Putin and present a new approach to the Ukraine crisis.
“The two heads of state will exchange their assessments of the current situation regarding the development of the Ukraine crisis,” Ushakov said.
Kirby said the ceasefire would give Russia an opportunity to prepare for a more effective attack on Ukraine in the future. So, at this point, he said, a ceasefire “is not in the interests of Ukraine and violates the Charter of the United Nations.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cautiously welcomed China’s involvement, but said success or failure depends on actions, not words.
VOA News
