There are signs that Xi and Zelenskiy may soon be meeting

There are signs that Xi and Zelenskiy may soon be meeting
FILE PHOTO: Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for the opening session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China March 5, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, China’s Xi has spoken with quite a few world leaders, including Putin. But over the past few weeks, there have been suspicions that China, which generally adopts a neutral stance when it comes to other countries’ affairs, may be deviating from that. This is because, while China has spoken to many about the war, it hasn’t spoken to Ukraine. This has led to pressure from other world leaders for China to do more to try to stop the conflict.

But on Monday, China and Ukraine’s foreign ministers spoke for the first time since March 1, according to state media, which many are interpreting as a sign that Xi and Zelenskiy may also soon be speaking.

Key comments:

“Had a call with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Grateful to my Chinese counterpart for solidarity with civilian victims. We both share the conviction that ending the war against Ukraine serves common interests of peace, global food security, and international trade,” tweeted Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister.

Wang said that “China does not seek geopolitical interests, nor will it watch the event from a safe distance while sitting idle, or add fuel to the fire.”

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