Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he wants to work with countries that have influence over Russia, such as China. At present, his country is facing a fresh attack from Moscow. He has appealed to Beijing to participate in peace talks next month. Zelensky said that Chinese President Xi Jinping assured him in a phone call that Beijing supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine. However, he did not say when this phone conversation took place. Zelensky’s statement came on Friday, shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two-day visit to China. During which both countries promised deep strategic cooperation.
However, China has never condemned Russia’s February 2022 attack on Ukraine. Instead, China has claimed neutrality in the conflict. It has issued a 12-point position, the nature of which is largely unclear. Ahead of expected peace talks in Switzerland next month, Xi Jinping has called for a dialogue that takes into account the positions of both sides. Zelensky said it is important to involve global players like China because they have influence over Russia, and the more such countries are on our side … the more Russia will have to move forward.
Ukrainian President Zelensky said that keeping in mind the assurances given by Xi Jinping over the phone regarding territorial integrity, he said that ‘they support, but what they will do, we have yet to see.’ However, the only known phone call between Zelensky and the Chinese leader took place in April last year. Zelensky said that he would like to see China in the international talks in Switzerland next month, which aim to pave the way for the peace process in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials say Russian forces are using prisoners in a border town as ‘human shields’. A Ukrainian official has said that Russian forces have captured dozens of civilians in the border town of Vovchansk. A top police officer in the area has accused Russia of using prisoners as ‘human shields’. It is worth noting that Moscow has again intensified its attack in northern Ukraine. Last week it launched its most surprising campaign in two years of war. Russia crossed the northern border in new attempts to capture Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second most populous city.
Tags: Russia ukraine war, Ukraine war, Vladimir Putin
FIRST PUBLISHED : May 18, 2024, 17:54 IST