China and Ukraine leaders speak for the first time since Russian invasion of Ukraine

Asia-Pacific, Europe, News April 28, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

China’s President Xi Jinping spoke on a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy on April 26, 2023. This was the first known conversation between the two leaders since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started in February 2022.

China has been ramping up its efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the Russia-Ukraine war. Ukraine’s Zelenskyy welcomed China’s efforts as the peacemakers and expressed interest in speaking with the Chinese leadership to find a diplomatic solution for the grinding conflict.

According to a statement released by Ukraine’s presidential office, the two leaders had “a long and meaningful phone call” where they discussed “a full range of topical issues of bilateral relations. Particular attention was paid to the ways of possible cooperation to establish a just and sustainable peace for Ukraine.” The statement further said that “There can be no peace at the expense of territorial compromises.”

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also released a readout regarding the phone call that quoted President Xi telling Zelenskyy that “mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is the political basis of China-Ukrainian relations.”

During the phone talks, the Chinese president also stressed that Beijing’s “core position” on the Ukraine conflict is to “promote peace and talks,” the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement added.

The phone call between the two leaders lasted for more than one hour. Following the call, China’s Foreign Ministry announced that it would send an envoy to Ukraine and other countries to help conduct “in-depth communication” with all parties to achieve a political settlement.

It is expected that the Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs China’s former ambassador to Russia from 2009 to 2019, Li Hui, would lead the envoy and diplomatic efforts to find peace between the two warring states.

*^{Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia on March 20, 2023. (Image Credit: Sergei Karpukhin/TASS)}*

Last month, China’s Xi Jinping visited Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During his visit to Russia, Xi and Putin discussed the ongoing war in Ukraine as Beijing reiterated its stance to find a peaceful solution.

Since Beijing has come forward to play the role of the peacemaker between the two warring states, several European leaders have come forward to back China’s efforts. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen are among the European leaders who have met with the Chinese President to discuss the war issues and Beijing’s efforts to resolve them.

China’s biggest rival, the United States, which provides the most help to Ukraine in the form of weapons and aid, does not adhere to Beijing’s peacemaking efforts. The U.S. has accused China of siding with Russia and planning to provide lethal weapons to Russia against Ukraine, a claim that Beijing has denied.

White House spokesman John Kirby welcomed the phone call as “a good thing” but said it was too early to know whether it would lead to “some sort of meaningful peace movement, or plan or proposal”.