Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview published Wednesday he is “ready to see” Chinese President Xi Jinping in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said he has not spoken to Xi since Russia initiated its full-fledged invasion of Ukraine last year, although they spoke before the invasion. The Ukrainian leader’s invitation to Xi is just the latest indicator that he is open to further Chinese involvement in a diplomatic end to the war.
Russia-Ukraine war: March 29 updates ⤵️
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy invites China’s President Xi Jinping to visit Ukraine, saying “we are ready to see him here”, reports the Associated Press.
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“We are ready to see him here,” Zelenskyy told The Associated Press during an interview from a train traversing Ukraine. “I want to speak with him. I had contact with him before full-scale war. But during all this year, more than one year, I didn’t have.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters Wednesday that China has maintained communications with “all parties” during the war. Dmitry Peskov, a Spokesman for the Kremlin, said Russia has “no right” to weigh in on who Xi should or should not meet with. (RELATED: General Mark Milley Admits US Oversight Of Weapons Going To Ukraine Is ‘Not As Rigorous As You Might Think’)
Last week, Xi visited Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, his first trip abroad since being awarded a third term as president. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) also issued what it called a “position paper” last month calling for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Zelenskyy said he was open to working with China on a peace plan despite the position paper containing several non-starters for Kyiv.
The United States has been cautiously accepting of China’s expanded diplomatic role, with the administration claiming it has no issues with Beijing brokering a recent diplomatic breakthrough between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Biden administration and some of its partners have downplayed China’s role in the Ukraine peace process though, alleging that the country remains a vital ally of Russia despite presenting a façade of neutrality.