China is taking responsibility for resolving the impasse that has developed in the Russian-Ukrainian peace talks after the corresponding attempts by the West failed. This was stated on Thursday, February 23, by Professor of the Institute of International Relations at the Chinese University of Foreign Affairs Li Haidong.
“What is certain is that the plan proposed by Western countries and the efforts made by Western leaders to resolve the ongoing conflict have failed miserably. The world really needs a new plan right now to break the deadlock. And China is taking responsibility for this,” said Li Haidong, quoted by the Chinese newspaper. Global Times.
According to Chinese analysts cited by the authors of the material, the West will refuse to recognize some of Russia’s security concerns as legitimate and reasonable, then it will simply “repeat the mistakes made in recent decades during the expansion of NATO, which ultimately led to the current conflict.”
According to Chinese experts, Moscow “will never accept a proposal that is contrary to its security interests, and in this case the conflict will not be stopped.”
Zhang Hong, a junior researcher at the Institute for the Study of Russia, whose words are also quoted by the publication, noted that it is difficult to develop a plan that would suit all parties to the conflict, but China will try to do everything possible to resolve the conflict.
“It is difficult to come up with an ideal plan that would satisfy all the warring parties. Promoting a ceasefire and peace is a process that requires a long and great effort, and this is what China has been trying to do from the very beginning,” Zhang said.
On February 22, Wang Yi, head of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, noted that Beijing highly appreciates Russia’s readiness to resolve the conflict in Ukraine through negotiations. In addition, Wang Yi noted that despite the difficult international situation, relations between Russia and China are stable.
Before that, on February 18, Wang Yi said that Beijing would prepare a position paper on a political settlement of the conflict. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba noted that Kyiv would study Beijing’s peace plan and draw its own conclusions.
The politician stressed that the document will include proposals made by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Among them will be points on respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, on adhering to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, as well as a call to contribute by all means to a peaceful settlement of the crisis.
He added that in the document, the Chinese side will repeat the thesis that nuclear wars should not be waged, and will also call for opposing attacks on nuclear power plants and nuclear facilities in order to prevent a nuclear catastrophe.
Earlier, on January 20, the official representative of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Wenbin, said that China would continue to work on resolving the conflict in Ukraine. The country has always actively worked to advance peace talks, he said, and Beijing will continue to “play a constructive role in the peaceful resolution of the crisis” through its own means.
On October 4, 2022, Kyiv officially refused contacts with Moscow. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky enforced the decision of the National Security Council on the impossibility of holding negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special operation to protect Donbass. The decision to hold it was made against the background of the aggravated situation in the region due to the increased shelling of Ukrainian troops.
