Kyiv (Ukraine): President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday he was planning to meet China’s Xi Jinping and expressed hope that China would support a “just peace” and Ukraine.
The statement came a day after Beijing called for urgent peace talks to end the war in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president also said he was doing his best to prevent Chinese arms supplies to Russia to avoid any risk of “World War III.”
“I am planning to meet with Xi Jinping,” he told reporters as Ukraine marked the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion.
“This will be important for world security,” he said.
Zelensky did not say when or where he was planning to meet Xi but expressed hope that China would support a “just peace” and Ukraine. “I really want to believe that China will not supply weapons to Russia. It is very important for me,” Zelensky said.
Earlier, China called for a cease-fire in Ukraine and for peace talks as soon as possible in a much-anticipated position paper released on the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion. Several Western powers rebuffed the proposals and also warned against Beijing’s close ties to Moscow.
Zelensky also said on Friday he was convinced that only a country whose territory is under attack can initiate “any peace initiatives.” Beijing has sought to position itself as a neutral party in the conflict while maintaining close ties with strategic ally Russia.
As Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its second year, Beijing is pushing harder for a negotiated end to the war.
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