Xi Jinping will talk to Zelensky - EC President

After talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that she had raised the issue of his talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. She said this at a briefing on Thursday, April 6.

"I urged President Xi to talk to President Zelenskyy, I know about it (Zelenskyy's desire to have a conversation - ed.) from phone conversations with President Zelenskyy, and he publicly asked for it," the EC President said.

"So it was interesting to hear that President Xi confirmed his willingness to have a conversation when the conditions and time are right. I think this is a positive element," von der Leyen added.

She also said that during the talks with the Chinese leader, she raised the issue of the war in Ukraine, reaffirming support for Zelensky's peace plan and Beijing's statements about the inadmissibility of nuclear threats.

"We also expect that China will not directly or indirectly provide any military equipment to Russia, as we all know that arming the aggressor is contrary to international law and will significantly damage our relations," the EC President said.

Earlier, Western media reported on a possible conversation between Zelenskyy and Xi Jinping amid his recent visit to Moscow. But the talks never took place.

There were some difficulties in organizing this conversation, including Beijing's unclear position on the war. This was stated by Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the Presidential Office, on the air of the United News telethon on March 23.

"There are plans (for a conversation - ed.). Both the Office of the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are organizing it. We proactively propose it because today there is practically no one else to explain the consequences of the wrong finalization of the war, because the president quite clearly places all the accents among our partners, and in particular among neutral countries," he explained.

According to him, there are certain difficulties in organizing these talks due to China's lack of a clear position on its participation in the settlement of military issues between Ukraine and Russia.

"It is quite complicated. There is the issue that China has not yet found its new political place. That is, whether it wants to take on the issue of a settlement between Russia and Ukraine, or whether it will cautiously stand aside. As I understand it, China has not yet figured this out for itself," the advisor added.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 07/04/2023