AMN
The leaders of China and Belarus have expressed their extreme interest in a peaceful resolution in Ukraine. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, issued a statement after talks in Beijing. Mr Lukashenko said his country fully supports a Beijing plan for ending the war in Ukraine. China announced a plan for peace talks last week, calling for the respect of national sovereignty.
The visit also comes days after China sent its top diplomat Wang Yi to meet Mr Putin. The 12-point document urges respect for the sovereignty of all countries. It does not specifically say Russia must withdraw its troops from Ukraine and condemns the usage of “unilateral sanctions”, an implicit criticism of Ukraine’s Western allies.
China’s peace plan was met with general distrust in the West. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he agreed with some parts of it and said it was a sign of China’s willingness to engage. Beijing has so far not publicly responded to Mr Zelensky’s call for a summit.