The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, wants China to be involved in the peace conference in Ukraine, which Switzerland is supposed to organize in June, but in which Russia will not participate, France Press reported.
"I would like China to be involved in this summit. World players like China have influence over Russia. And the more countries of this kind are on our side, on the side of the end of the war, the more Russia will have to comply with this," Zelensky said in an interview with France Press, quoted by BTA.
"Chinese leaders live a little with the feeling that if Russia loses the war, it will not be a loss for Russia, but a victory for the US. For them, it will be neither a victory for Ukraine nor a loss for Russia. This is a victory for the West. And they want to find a balance between the two," said the Ukrainian leader.
According to him, on the one hand, China has influence on Russia because there are economic ties between the two countries, and on the other hand, China is very interested in the EU market and the European market is a priority for the Chinese. "But they don't want to lose Russia," added Zelensky.
In mid-April, China said there was still much work to be done before the potential holding of the peace conference Switzerland wants to host on June 15 and 16, but without Russia present. Russia considers that the event is devoid of interest without its participation in it.
In the conflict in Ukraine, China calls for dialogue, opposes any resort to nuclear weapons and calls for respect for the territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine by default.
But Beijing has never publicly condemned Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine and calls for regular consideration of Russia's security concerns with NATO.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is now on a visit to China, where he was received by Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The two leaders together defended the Beijing-Moscow axis as a factor of stability and peace in the world.
The strategic partnership between China and Russia has only strengthened since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but Beijing has rejected Western claims that it is aiding Russia's military effort.
In the interview with AFP, Zelensky called on all the countries of the world, especially those from the south, to send delegations to Switzerland.
"If there is no representative of your country, it means that you are responding to those who say "We want peace", that you want Russia to win," said the Ukrainian leader.
Zelensky mentioned three files that will be discussed in Switzerland and that the countries present could support.
The first concerns free movement in the Black Sea to protect food security around the world by allowing the export of Ukrainian grain. The second concerns an agreement on a call to end strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The third is for the return to Ukraine of the thousands of children deported to Russia, for which crime the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin. According to Zelensky, if at the end of the meeting in Geneva these three measures are reached with a majority of the countries (around the world that support them), this means that Russia will not be able to block them.