The ‘number two’ of Ukrainian diplomacy, Andriy Sybiha, asked this Thursday, in Beijing, the Government of China, in Beijing, to participate in the peace summit scheduled for June 15 and 16, in Switzerland .
Ukrainian First Deputy Foreign Minister spoke with Chinese counterpart Sun Weidong about the situation in Ukraine and preparations for the summit, according to a statement from the Ukrainian Embassy in China.
At the meeting, Sybiha said that China’s participation in the summit would be an “excellent opportunity to contribute in a practical way to the achievement of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”
The leader defended that the “only basis for achieving such peace” is the formula defended by Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensky demands Russia’s withdrawal from the entire territory of Ukraine, including the Crimean peninsula, annexed in 2014, and the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk (east), Kherson and Zaporijia (south), annexed in September 2022.
Sun and Sybiha stressed the importance of adhering to the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, including “mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity”, the Ukrainian statement said.
In another statement, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Sun highlighted the importance of “maintaining mutual respect and sincerity in bilateral relations” and added that both countries should “focus on core interests and long-term development of their respective peoples”.
Sybiha also held a meeting with the Chinese special envoy for the Eurasian region, Li Hui, in which relations between China and Ukraine were again discussed, as well as the war in the European country .
On May 31, the Asian country had said that it would be difficult to participate in this summit if Russia was not invited, a statement approved by Moscow.
China claims to be neutral in this conflict, but has never condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 and has received Russian President Vladimir Putin on its territory several times since the start of the war.
On the sidelines of a security forum in Singapore on Sunday, Zelensky accused China of working to prevent countries from participating in the summit, something Beijing denied.
More than a hundred countries and organizations, including Portugal, have committed to participating in the summit, according to Zelensky.
