China: Li Hui, China’s representative for Ukraine, has stated that there is still a considerable difference between Moscow and Kyiv regarding peace negotiations to end the ongoing war.
The dispute lasted for more than two years. Nevertheless, both parties agreed that it was the most effective way to resolve this crisis. Beijing endeavoured to place itself as a negotiator in the brawl by freeing a 12-point plan aimed at achieving a ‘political settlement’ and conducting multiple rounds of talks.
However, while China maintains that it stays impartial, it come under fire for strengthening its ties with Russia, despite President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Li stated that Kyiv and Moscow were still far apart, however, they recognised that the talks were the best way to resolve the conflict.
“At the end, they all agree that the war must be resolved through negotiations rather than guns. All parties recognise the danger of the current situation continuing to deteriorate. And they all agree with China’s call for the situation to cool down,” Li added.
Kyiv is hoping that Beijing will participate in a peace conference that it is organising in Switzerland. The conference aims to discuss Kyiv’s proposals for a negotiated peace. However, Moscow has not been invited to the event and expressed its belief that the effort will fail without its participation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a 10-point peace plan in November 2022, which includes an injunction for Russia to withdraw all its armies from the Ukrainian region and the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
At present, Moscow settles about 17 percent of Ukraine, including four regions in the south and east, as well as Crimea, which it overran and annexed in 2014. The Ministry of Defence declared progress on the 1,000-kilometre front line this week, and it launched a major projectile attack on Kyiv, which marks the first such attack in 44 days.
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