Zelensky Plans to Meet with China’s Xi
On Proposed Peace Plan for Ukraine
Niamh Cavanagh / AOL & Yahoo News
LONDON (February 24, 2023) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday said he planned to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping about China’s proposed peace plan, released on the first anniversary of the war.
“China started talking about Ukraine, and I think this is a good thing,” Zelensky said at a news conference one year after Russia’s invasion. “But it actually begs the question, what will these words be followed with? The steps next are important.”
On Friday, China’s Foreign Ministry announced a 12-point proposal that called for a resumption of peace talks and an end to all unilateral sanctions against Russia, and it emphasized its opposition to the use of nuclear weapons. It also stressed that territorial sovereignty should be upheld but remained vague on what that meant for Russia or Ukraine.
Speaking from Kyiv, Zelensky said he has plans to meet with Xi. “I … believe this will be beneficial for our countries and for security in the world,” he said.
Since the beginning of the war, China has claimed neutrality despite stating that Russia had been provoked into invading Ukraine due to NATO’s expansion eastward.
Zelensky said he would “work with China” but only if “there are ideas that correspond to international law or territorial integrity, and some security considerations.”
“But it’s something,” he added.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the Kremlin had welcomed China’s plan for peace, stating that it was open to achieving the goals of its “special military operation” through diplomatic means.
“We share the views of Beijing,” Maria Zakharova, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said in a statement, but she added that this would mean recognizing “new territorial realities” for Ukraine.
Other negotiations for peace were also discussed at the anniversary news conference. Asked if he would attend negotiations mediated by Turkey, Zelensky said no. “It is not the same man,” he said about Russian President Vladimir Putin. “There is nobody to talk to there.”
During the broadcast, Zelensky remained defiant, insisting that Ukraine would be “victorious.”
China’s Proposed 12 Points
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, People’s Republic of China
China’s Position on the Political
Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis
2023-02-24 09:00
- Respecting the sovereignty of all countries.Universally recognized international law, including the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, must be strictly observed. The sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be effectively upheld. All countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, are equal members of the international community. All parties should jointly uphold the basic norms governing international relations and defend international fairness and justice. Equal and uniform application of international law should be promoted, while double standards must be rejected.
- Abandoning the Cold War mentality.The security of a country should not be pursued at the expense of others. The security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs. The legitimate security interests and concerns of all countries must be taken seriously and addressed properly. There is no simple solution to a complex issue. All parties should, following the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and bearing in mind the long-term peace and stability of the world, help forge a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture. All parties should oppose the pursuit of one’s own security at the cost of others’ security, prevent bloc confrontation, and work together for peace and stability on the Eurasian Continent.
- Ceasing hostilities.Conflict and war benefit no one. All parties must stay rational and exercise restraint, avoid fanning the flames and aggravating tensions, and prevent the crisis from deteriorating further or even spiraling out of control. All parties should support Russia and Ukraine in working in the same direction and resuming direct dialogue as quickly as possible, so as to gradually deescalate the situation and ultimately reach a comprehensive ceasefire.
- Resuming peace talks.Dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis. All efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis must be encouraged and supported. The international community should stay committed to the right approach of promoting talks for peace, help parties to the conflict open the door to a political settlement as soon as possible, and create conditions and platforms for the resumption of negotiation. China will continue to play a constructive role in this regard.
- Resolving the humanitarian crisis.All measures conducive to easing the humanitarian crisis must be encouraged and supported. Humanitarian operations should follow the principles of neutrality and impartiality, and humanitarian issues should not be politicized. The safety of civilians must be effectively protected, and humanitarian corridors should be set up for the evacuation of civilians from conflict zones. Efforts are needed to increase humanitarian assistance to relevant areas, improve humanitarian conditions, and provide rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, with a view to preventing a humanitarian crisis on a larger scale. The UN should be supported in playing a coordinating role in channeling humanitarian aid to conflict zones.
- Protecting civilians and prisoners of war (POWs).Parties to the conflict should strictly abide by international humanitarian law, avoid attacking civilians or civilian facilities, protect women, children and other victims of the conflict, and respect the basic rights of POWs. China supports the exchange of POWs between Russia and Ukraine, and calls on all parties to create more favorable conditions for this purpose.
- Keeping nuclear power plants safe.China opposes armed attacks against nuclear power plants or other peaceful nuclear facilities, and calls on all parties to comply with international law including the Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS) and resolutely avoid man-made nuclear accidents. China supports the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in playing a constructive role in promoting the safety and security of peaceful nuclear facilities.
- Reducing strategic risks.Nuclear weapons must not be used and nuclear wars must not be fought. The threat or use of nuclear weapons should be opposed. Nuclear proliferation must be prevented and nuclear crisis avoided. China opposes the research, development and use of chemical and biological weapons by any country under any circumstances.
- Facilitating grain exports.All parties need to implement the Black Sea Grain Initiative signed by Russia, Türkiye, Ukraine and the UN fully and effectively in a balanced manner, and support the UN in playing an important role in this regard. The cooperation initiative on global food security proposed by China provides a feasible solution to the global food crisis.
- Stopping unilateral sanctions.Unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure cannot solve the issue; they only create new problems. China opposes unilateral sanctions unauthorized by the UN Security Council. Relevant countries should stop abusing unilateral sanctions and “long-arm jurisdiction” against other countries, so as to do their share in deescalating the Ukraine crisis and create conditions for developing countries to grow their economies and better the lives of their people.
- Keeping industrial and supply chains stable.All parties should earnestly maintain the existing world economic system and oppose using the world economy as a tool or weapon for political purposes. Joint efforts are needed to mitigate the spillovers of the crisis and prevent it from disrupting international cooperation in energy, finance, food trade and transportation and undermining the global economic recovery.
- Promoting post-conflict reconstruction.The international community needs to take measures to support post-conflict reconstruction in conflict zones. China stands ready to provide assistance and play a constructive role in this endeavor.
