Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he plans to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discuss Beijing’s proposals to end the war in Ukraine.
Speaking on the first anniversary of Russia’s all-out invasion, he said the proposal signaled that China was seeking peace.
“I really want to believe that China will not supply weapons to Russia,” he said.
China’s plan calls for peace talks and respect for national sovereignty.
However, the 12-point document does not specifically say that Russia should withdraw its troops from Ukraine, and it also condemns the use of “unilateral sanctions”, which Ukraine’s allies in the West see as cover. is seen on
Chinese officials have not yet publicly responded to Mr Zielinski’s call for a summit with Mr Xi.
Meanwhile, Russia has welcomed China’s peace proposals. “We share Beijing’s views,” the foreign ministry in Moscow said in a statement.
Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Anthony Blanken said Beijing was considering supplying Russia with arms and ammunition – a claim Beijing has vehemently denied. On Friday, US media reported again that the Chinese government is considering sending drones and artillery to Moscow.
Asked about the Chinese plan, US President Joe Biden told JEE News on Friday: “[Russian President Vladimir] Putin praised it, so how can it be good?
“I don’t see anything in the plan that suggests there’s anything that’s beneficial to anyone other than Russia,” he added.
China appears to be siding with Russia, although it wants to find a way to save President Putin through some kind of face-saving peace deal.
The Chinese proposals follow a visit to Moscow by the country’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, where he met with President Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday.
After the talks, Mr Wang was quoted by JEE News as saying Beijing was ready to “deepen political trust” and “strengthen strategic coordination” with Moscow.
Western officials warmly welcomed the latest proposals. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Beijing “doesn’t have much credibility” because it “couldn’t condemn the illegal attack on Ukraine”.
President Putin launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and Russian troops made significant advances in the north, east, and south of Ukraine during the first few days.
But the attack on the capital Kiev was soon repulsed and the Ukrainian army later managed to recapture large areas.
The conflict – the largest in Europe since World War II – has since become a war of attrition.
