Xi calls Zelensky: is he preparing a mediation?
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a phone call on Wednesday, the first time the two leaders had spoken since the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Zelensky confirmed the “long and meaningful” conversation in a statement: “I had a long and meaningful phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. I believe that this phone call, as well as the appointment of the Ukrainian ambassador to China, will give a strong impetus to the development of our bilateral relations".
A new Ukrainian ambassador to China is expected to be appointed, Zelensky confirmed in a statement released on Twitter. There has long been a Chinese embassy and consulate in Ukraine, but it seems that both sides want a fresh start in relations.
During the phone call, references were made to the possibility of future negotiations. Beijing has proposed itself as a possible mediator, given the 12-point peace plan published by Xi at the end of February, but which has not yet obtained approval from either Moscow or Kiev. Based on statements from both sides, Xi said negotiations are the only solution for war in Ukraine and that China is willing to strengthen ties with Ukraine, Bloomberg reported.
The phone call between Xi and Zelenskiy demonstrates that China attaches importance to growing relations with Ukraine, Foreign Ministry official Yu Jun said at a briefing in Beijing. China is very concerned about the humanitarian conditions in Ukraine, but its special envoy for this region has not yet visited Kiev and it is not known when he will visit other countries.
Furthermore, the timing of the phone call is likely an attempt to smooth over relations after Beijing's ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, sparked intense controversy across Europe when he questioned in a weekend interview the sovereignty of post-Soviet countries, stating that they have no "effective status" under international law.
China quickly backed down, calling the ambassador's statements merely a personal opinion. This comes after the Baltic countries Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia summoned their Chinese ambassadors to ask for explanations. Statements of denunciation have also arrived from other officials and European capitals. Beijing's Ministry of Foreign Affairs then released the following clarification on Monday: "China respects the sovereign status of the former Soviet countries after the dissolution of the Soviet Union," spokesman Mao Ning said. Mao said Beijing's position is "consistent and clear," but he gave no indication that Lu's comment was considered incorrect.
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ArticleXi calls Zelensky: is he preparing a mediation? comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/xi-telefona-a-zelensky-prepara-una-mediazione/ on Wed, 26 Apr 2023 16:49:31 +0000.