Spain: The Spanish Prime Minister Mr. Pedro Sanchez has announced that he would discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine with Chinese President Mr. Xi Jinping during a state visit to China in order to reach a lasting peace in Ukraine.

Mr. Sánchez’s trip to China was revealed as Mr. Xi, who is attempting to position himself as a mediator in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, returned from a symbolic two-day visit to Moscow.

The Spanish PM described China as a “top-tier global actor” and thanked Mr. Xi for the invitation to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Spain and China’s diplomatic relations.

According to the PM, the meeting would “obviously” include discussions about the “global crisis” caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“I think it’s important to know first-hand what his position is on peace in Ukraine, and to tell him that it is the Ukrainians themselves who will lay down the conditions for the beginning of this peace, when it arrives,” Mr. Sanchez commented.

“Second, the most important thing is to preserve an international rule-based order, which depends on respecting the UN charter. One of those fundamental principles is respecting territorial integrity, in this case the territorial integrity of Ukraine, which is being violated by President Putin,” the Spanish leader added.

According to reports, Mr. Sanchez would hold commercial meetings during the Boao Forum for Asia on the Chinese island of Hainan on March 30 before travelling to Beijing to meet Mr. Xi the next day.

“China and Spain enjoy a sustained, sound, and stable development of relations. The two leaders maintain good communication,” a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson stated.

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