President Zelenskyy: China may join talks on Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that China may participate in negotiations on Ukraine if it is prepared to take on the responsibility of providing security guarantees and assistance to Kyiv, as well as exerting pressure on Russia.

President Zelenskyy made these remarks following his visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media. 

"Regarding China, we have always said that we are open to the involvement of major players. However, at the negotiation table, there will be those who are ready to assume responsibility, both for security guarantees and assistance," President Zelenskyy said.

The president also mentioned that Beijing has begun showing interest in supporting Ukraine.

“Kyiv cannot oppose when countries of the Global South are eager to help Ukraine and put pressure on Russia. Therefore, I believe this is an important meeting. It could lead to continued dialogue at another level. China has shown interest in pressuring Vladimir Putin to end the war,” he said. 

Earlier, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China hopes that all relevant parties involved in the Ukraine crisis will engage in peace talks at an appropriate time, working toward a political solution through dialogue and consultation. Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made these comments in response to questions after his keynote speech at the "China in the World" session of the Munich Security Conference.

On China's approach to resolving the Ukraine crisis, Wang emphasized that China has consistently advocated for resolving global conflicts through dialogue, consultation, and political methods, and this principle applies to the Ukraine situation as well. Wang clarified that China did not cause the Ukraine crisis and is not directly involved in it, yet it has neither remained passive nor exploited the situation. He pointed out that since the crisis began, China has consistently called for a resolution through dialogue and negotiation.

By Naila Huseynova