Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Moscow currently on a state visit to China, said Wednesday that his country “fully supports” recent Chinese proposals aimed at settling the conflict in Ukraine. He was speaking during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing, during a three-day stay in the Asian country which is a close economic and diplomatic partner of Russia.
Last Friday, a year to the day after the outbreak of the Russian offensive against Ukraine, China published a 12-point document urging Moscow and kyiv in particular to hold peace talks. The text also opposes any recourse to nuclear weapons and calls for respect for the territorial integrity of all countries – also implying that of Ukraine, part of whose territory is under Russian control.
“Some countries should stop instrumentalizing the global economy”
This Chinese document was greeted with caution by Westerners because China, officially neutral, has never publicly condemned Russia. But he received support from Alexander Lukashenko on Wednesday. “Belarus is actively campaigning for peace proposals and fully supports your initiative for international security,” he told Xi Jinping, according to the press service of the Belarusian presidency. “Today’s meeting takes place in a very difficult period which requires new, unusual approaches and responsible political decisions. They must be aimed above all at avoiding a global confrontation which will have no winners”, he said. he adds.
Chinese diplomacy is seeking to impose itself as a mediator in this conflict, but its position as a close partner of Moscow partly disqualifies it in the eyes of several Western countries, which support Ukraine unreservedly. Recently accused by the United States of considering supplying arms to Russia, China firmly denies having such intentions. However, she regularly calls on Europeans to take Russian fears of NATO into account.
“We must continue to push with determination for a political settlement, abandon any Cold War mentality, respect the legitimate security concerns of all countries, and build a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture,” Xi Jinping told Reuters on Wednesday. its Belarusian counterpart. “Some countries should stop politicizing and instrumentalizing the global economy and should do things conducive to a ceasefire, an end to war and a peaceful resolution of the crisis,” he said. he pointed out according to the official new China agency.
Volodymyr Zelensky talks about the need to “work” with Beijing
During a meeting earlier Wednesday with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Alexander Lukashenko said that for Beijing and Minsk, “no subject is excluded for cooperation”, according to the Belarusian presidency. “We are doing everything in the interest of our peoples – Belarusian and Chinese. It will continue to be so,” he stressed, praising bilateral relations.
For his part, Volodymyr Zelensky deemed it “necessary” to “work” with Beijing to work towards a resolution of the conflict. He also indicated that he planned an upcoming meeting with Xi Jinping. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion at the end of February 2022, the Chinese president has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin on several occasions but has not yet spoken with his Ukrainian counterpart. The Kremlin had estimated Monday that if the Chinese plan “deserved attention”, the conditions necessary for a “peaceful” solution were not met “for the moment”.