China, Ukraine leaders speak for first time since war began
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping had a “long and meaningful” phone conversation Wednesday, their first known contact since Russia launched its “military operation” in Ukraine more than a year ago.
The phone call, which officials said lasted nearly an hour, was seen as a significant development in efforts to resolve the war. It comes two months after Beijing, which has long been aligned with Russia, said it wanted to act as a mediator in the conflict and after Xi visited Moscow last month, AP reported.
It also comes as Ukraine is readying its forces for an expected spring counteroffensive.
“I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine’s ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations,” Zelenskyy said in a Facebook post without elaborating. His office said more details of what was said would be published later in the day.
In China, the phone call was reported by state media. China Central Television said Beijing intends to send an envoy to Kyiv to discuss “a political settlement” for the war.
The White House on Wednesday welcomed the phone call, saying it was too soon to tell whether it would lead to a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, Reuters reported.
“That’s a good thing,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said. “Now, whether that’s going to lead to some sort of meaningful peace movement, or plan, or proposal, I just don’t think we know that right now.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova commended China’s approach but was scathing about Ukraine’s stance. She praised Beijing’s “readiness to strive to establish a (peace) negotiations process,” while slamming what she called Kyiv’s “rejection of any sound initiatives aimed at a settlement.”
Talks between the two leaders had been anticipated for weeks, after China produced a 12-point proposal to end the fighting. The phone call was for China another step toward deeper involvement in resolving the conflict.
The peace proposal came on the heels of China’s announcement that it was keen to act as mediator in the war that has reenergized Western alliances that are regarded by Beijing and Moscow as rivals.