The Ukrainian government on Wednesday reminded Beijing’s envoy to Kiev, Li Hui, of “Ukraine’s respect for territorial integrity” while welcoming China’s important role in efforts to end the Russian invasion .
In Kiev, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba “explained in detail to the Chinese Special Representative the principles of restoring a lasting and just peace based on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”according to a statement by Ukrainian diplomacy, quoted by international agencies.
Kuleba emphasized that “Ukraine will not accept any proposal that involves losing its territories or freezing the conflict”at a time when Kiev fears long-term pressure to accept a compromise with Moscow.
According to Beijing, Li Hui, Special Representative for Eurasia Affairs and former Chinese Ambassador to Moscow, is expected to discuss the “political solution” of the conflict during the tour he conducts through several countries in Europe in the coming days.
In February, Beijing offered a 12-point plan to end the war, which Westerners viewed with skepticism.
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Moscow in March and offered symbolic support to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. At the end of April, Xi Jinping and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky had a telephone conversation, the first since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s head of diplomacy also praised China’s important role in peace efforts, while Kiev is promoting its own formula for resolving the conflict that would involve returning all Russian-held territories, including the Crimea peninsula, which was annexed in 2014.
Li Hui is expected in Moscow “at the end of the month,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Roudenko said late Tuesday, without specifying a date.
“The idea is to make it known [aos países visitados] Chinese proposals for a political settlement in Ukraine and listen to the views and comments of the relevant interlocutors”he said.
This visit by Li Hui to Kiev follows Volodymyr Zelensky’s European tour, during which he was promised fresh shipments of weapons needed to launch a major counter-offensive.
France, for its part, has announced that the Chinese envoy will be in Paris early next week.
This was announced by French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna during a parliamentary hearing in the Senate.
Chinese envoy Li Hui was in the Ukrainian capital this Tuesday and Wednesday and will travel to Warsaw on Friday.
The Russian military offensive on Ukrainian territory, launched on February 24 last year, plunged Europe into what is considered the most serious security crisis since World War II (1939-1945).
Source: DN
