Zelensky: "Never Seen China's Peace Plan... Welcomes Bilateral Talks"

Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on the 23rd (local time) that he has not yet reviewed the peace plan that China intends to unveil on the first anniversary of the Ukraine war, but expressed that talks between the two countries would be welcomed.

According to major foreign media, President Zelenskyy said at a joint press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S?nchez held in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, that "it is desirable for the delegations of both countries to meet," adding that this aligns with Ukraine's current interests.

Through diplomats, President Zelenskyy mentioned that he has only heard general information about China’s peace proposal for Ukraine, but the very fact that China is considering peaceful mediation is encouraging.

Earlier, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, announced at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on the 20th that China would reveal a peace plan on the 24th, marking the first anniversary of the war. However, the specific contents of this plan have not been disclosed. The Russian Foreign Ministry also stated that although Wang visited Russia on the 21st and 22nd and met with President Vladimir Putin, he only explained China’s views on the causes of the war and political solutions, and there was no discussion about the peace plan.

Regarding China’s peace plan, on the 22nd, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said at the Munich Security Conference that Wang Yi shared key elements but emphasized the need to understand the overall solution. An anonymous senior Ukrainian official also reportedly told AFP that China had not consulted on the plan.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has proposed a peace plan for this war that includes ten points such as the full withdrawal of Russian troops and prosecuting Russia’s acts of aggression at the International Court of Justice. Russia has stated that it cannot accept these conditions.