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Russia willing to hold high-level talks with Ukraine, China says
Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that Moscow is willing to hold “high-level negotiations with Ukraine”, China’s foreign ministry said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Friday that Moscow is willing to hold “high-level negotiations with Ukraine”, China’s foreign ministry said.
Xi also called for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in a phone call with Putin on Friday as Moscow-led forces continued attacks on military and civilian targets in Ukraine on the second day of the invasion that has prompted global condemnation.
Putin’s offer followed a Kremlin announcement that his government was considering an offer by Ukrainian President Volodymyr ZelenskIy to negotiate non-aligned status for his country.
Repeating his long standing grievances, Putin told Xi that the US and Nato had long ignored Russia’s legitimate security concerns, repeatedly reneged on their commitments, and continued to expand military deployment eastward, challenging Russia’s strategic bottom line, according to an official Chinese government statement, shared by the foreign ministry and Chinese official media.
“Russian side is ready to conduct high-level negotiations with the Ukrainian side,” Putin told Xi.
The “situation in eastern Ukraine has undergone rapid changes... (and) China supports Russia and Ukraine to resolve the issue through negotiation,” Xi pointed out to Putin as per an official readout of the Friday afternoon call.
“China supports Russia and Ukraine to resolve the issue through negotiation. China’s basic position on respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter is consistent,” Xi told Putin.
The phone call comes on day two of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which involved airstrikes and Russian troops making inroads into the eastern European country after weeks of diplomatic efforts failed to deter Putin from launching the military operation.
Beijing has continued to tread a cautious diplomatic line on the crisis and has refused to call it an “invasion” or even condemn the actions of Russia, its close ally and neighbour.
Xi told Putin it was important to “…abandon the Cold War mentality, attach importance to and respect the reasonable security concerns of all countries, and form a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism through negotiations”.
The Chinese leader said China was “…willing to work with all parties in the international community to advocate a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept, and firmly safeguard the international system with the United Nations at the core”, as per Chinese state media.
For China, Russia’s action is still not an invasion
China on Friday again refused to call Russia’s action in Ukraine an “invasion” or criticise Moscow despite growing casualties from the Russian military’s all-out assault on the eastern European country that has prompted global condemnation.
The Chinese foreign ministry also hit back at US President Joe Biden’s comment that any country which backed Russia’s action in Ukraine would be “stained by association”, saying instead that countries that interfered in the domestic affairs of others would see their reputations stained.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin China believes in respecting the territorial integrity of all countries, adding, however, that Beijing sees the Ukraine issue as having its own complex and special historical background.
“We understand Russia’s legitimate concerns on security issues,” Wang said on Friday.
Wang said China maintains that the “Cold War mentality” should be completely abandoned and a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism should be finally established through dialogue and negotiation.
Asked if China is prepared to increase purchases of Russian oil in response to US and European Union sanctions, Wang said: “Sanctions have never been an effective way to resolve problems. We hope the relevant parties can work hard to resolve the problem through dialogue and consultation.”
Beijing has repeatedly critcised the US for escalating the situation in Ukraine without apportioning any blame on Moscow, with home it shares increasingly close ties.
Wang did not answer questions about whether China would recognise the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, in Ukrainian territory claimed by Russia, as independent states.
The Chinese foreign ministry has said the US isn’t qualified to tell China what to do on the issue of respecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Even today, we are still facing the real threat from the United States and its so-called allies wantonly interfering in China’s internal affairs and undermining China’s sovereignty and security on Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan issues,” the ministry said on Thursday.
