Chinese authorities have denied allegations that they’ve contributed to the exacerbation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Office, Mao Ning, stated clearly that China seeks to support initiatives promoting peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This clarification was in response to an inquiry regarding a forthcoming peace summit in Switzerland, scheduled for mid-June.
The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, had earlier accused China and Russia of undermining his planned worldwide peace summit. Zelenskiy alleged on Sunday that China has been supportive of attempts to dissuade leaders from attending this summit. According to him, Russia has exploited China’s influence in the region and its diplomats to hamper the peace summit.
On the contrary, Ms Mao specified on Monday that China places high regard on its relationship with Ukraine and is its top trade partner. Furthermore, she stated that China’s stance on this peace summit is very open and obvious. Ms Mao expressed the belief that China will gain the understanding and backing of all involved parties.
President Zelenskiy has appealed to global leaders to attend this peace conference. In an aside, he mentioned that if Donald Trump secures a victory in the November elections and imposes an unfavourable peace deal on Ukraine, it could tarnish his presidency and negatively affect America’s role as a global force.
Meanwhile, in Russia, the foreign affairs ministry has warned the USA to avoid actions potentially triggering fatal consequences, specifically regarding green-lighting Ukrainian strikes on Russian territories. Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov underscored that attempts by Ukraine to impact Russian early-warning radar systems will be thwarted, and Moscow may retaliate in an uneven manner.
The international landscape recently shifted when American president Joe Biden permitted Kyiv to utilise American weapons for counter-fire within Russia, near their border with the Kharkiv region. Biden’s decision followed substantial pressure from Western allies and President Zelenskiy who argued that the delay in the provision of Western arms had cost lives.