Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday, marking the first conversation between the two leaders since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The call was seen as a significant achievement for Ukraine, which had been publicly seeking such talks with China for months. During the hour-long call, Zelenskiy described the conversation as "long and meaningful" and signaled the importance of strengthening relations with China, Russia's most powerful ally. He named a former cabinet minister as Ukraine's new ambassador to Beijing as a sign of Ukraine's commitment to closer ties with China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over the phone for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. During the call, Xi pledged to send special representatives to Ukraine and engage in talks with all parties involved in seeking peace, according to Chinese state media.
Zelenskiy welcomed the opportunity to strengthen relations with China, naming a former cabinet minister as Ukraine's new ambassador to Beijing. In a video address, Zelenskiy emphasized the importance of reinforcing principles and rules of peace with China's political power, stating that both Ukraine and China share an interest in the sovereignty of nations and territorial integrity.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed support for extending a Ukrainian grain export deal from Black Sea ports during their recent conversation.
Russia has threatened to not renew the pact beyond May 18 unless Western obstacles to Russian grain and fertilizer exports are removed.
Xi visited Moscow last month and has put forth a 12-point peace plan since February that has been viewed skeptically by the West but cautiously welcomed by Kyiv. During their conversation, Xi informed Zelenskiy that China will focus on promoting peace talks and work towards achieving a ceasefire as soon as possible.
Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible major country, China will not remain passive, escalate tensions, or seek to benefit from the conflict in Ukraine. The White House responded positively to Xi's call for peace, but cautioned that it is too early to predict if it will lead to a lasting peace agreement. French President Emmanuel Macron's office reported that he encouraged Xi to speak with Ukrainian President Zelenskiy during a visit to Beijing earlier this month.
The 14-month long conflict in Ukraine has reached a critical point, with Ukraine gearing up for a counteroffensive after a winter attack by Russia that resulted in minimal gains despite intense fighting. There are currently no peace negotiations in progress, as Kyiv demands that Russia withdraw its troops and Moscow insists that Ukraine recognize its claims to the annexed territory. Ukrainian President Zelenskiy stated on Twitter that there cannot be peace if it comes at the cost of territorial compromise, and that Ukraine's territorial integrity must be restored to its 1991 borders.
For some time now, Ukrainian officials have been calling on China to utilize its influence over Russia to help bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine. Despite signing a comprehensive partnership agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin weeks prior to the invasion of Ukraine, China has not explicitly supported the invasion and has criticized the sanctions imposed on Russia.
China has also emerged as Russia's largest economic partner, buying up oil that is no longer sellable in Europe. Following the recent call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova acknowledged China's willingness to help establish a negotiation process.
The United States has expressed concerns about China potentially providing weapons or ammunition to Russia, although China denies any such intentions. China has positioned itself as a mediator in the conflict, claiming to have remained impartial.
The deputy head of the foreign ministry's Eurasian department, Yu Jun, has stated that China's efforts to help resolve the crisis have been transparent.
However, Western nations have criticized China's peace proposal, stating that it lacks specificity, does not provide a clear path towards resolving the conflict, and could potentially be utilized by Russian President Vladimir Putin to promote a truce that would allow his forces to remain in control of occupied territory while they regroup.