Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed on Thursday that he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping over the phone and that China promised not to provide arms to Russia.
China, although maintaining its neutrality in the dispute, has supported Russia economically, diplomatically, and rhetorically at a time when Western countries have placed harsh sanctions on Moscow in an effort to isolate it for its border invasion.
During the G7 meeting in Italy, Zelenskyy and US President Joe Biden shared the podium for a joint news conference. He did not reveal when he chatted with Xi.
Beijing and Moscow announced a “no limits” relationship in February 2022, just days before the conflict started, and continued to keep tight relations during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In April, the US alerted its partners that China was supplying Russia with satellite images to aid Putin’s forces.
China has maintained that it is impartial in the conflict but has not openly opposed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to attack the nation in Eastern Europe.
According to Zelenskyy, Beijing might develop a different “peace formula” if it had a different opinion from Kyiv’s, and they could have a conversation if both countries shared the same ideas on peace.
Similar warnings have been given by European leaders when they are in China, and Beijing has come under fire from the EU’s head of foreign affairs, who called Beijing’s support of Russia during the invasion “a blatant violation” of its obligations under the UN.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow last month highlighted how Beijing is progressively taking the lead in the partnership by giving Russia political cover and an economic lifeline. China said on Friday that Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu will meet with Sergei Shoigu and senior military officials during his visit to Russia the following week.
Qin presented well-worn explanations of Chinese policy on Taiwan and Ukraine, highlighting Beijing’s denial of Western criticism, especially that of the United States. China’s rhetoric has been more acerbic under the deeply nationalist Xi, especially when it comes to Taiwan, which broke away from mainland China in 1949 due to a civil war.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, Zelenskyy and Xi have only had one phone conversation which was publicly announced. That was in April 2023.
