Chinese delegation refused to meet with Zelensky in Switzerland - Politico
Kyiv • UNN
China's decision not to meet with the Ukrainians seemed deliberate and not the result of scheduling problems, the publication said.
The meeting of representatives of Ukraine and China - President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Li Qiang - during the World economic forum in Davos will not be. This was reported by Politico, reports UNN.
"The Chinese delegation in Switzerland had ample opportunities to sit across from their Ukrainian counterparts, whether in Bern or at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Either meeting would have satisfied Kiev's long-held hope to have frank face-to-face discussions with senior officials from Beijing," the article said.
The media outlet notes that earlier the head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, Andriy Yermak, said that it was extremely important for China to join the peace talks and hinted that Zelensky would have a chance to talk to Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang.
"In the end, Ukraine made no progress in bringing China into the talks, and Zelensky and Li failed to talk," the article said.
Politico adds that "this is the latest signal that China has no intention of seeking an end to Russian President Vladimir Putin's all-out war with Ukraine. Instead, it has sided with russia, supplying its troops with materials for military use that have supported moscow's war effort despite Western pressure and sanctions.
Add
China's decision not to meet with the Ukrainians seemed deliberate and not the result of scheduling problems, the publication said.
A senior US official said that Beijing had rejected Kiev's request for a meeting. Another senior U.S. official said China had refused any meetings after Russia urged it to cut diplomatic contacts with Ukraine.
At the same time, the Ukrainian official disputed this characterization, saying that the delegation's schedule did not include a meeting with Chinese officials and that Kiev had never asked for one. Chinese officials did not respond to a request for comment, Politico wrote.
A senior European Union official said the bloc had urged China to resume direct contact with Zelensky, noting that a meeting with Li in Switzerland would be a positive step.
Recall
The two countries began diplomatic talks after russia's renewed and expanded invasion. Zelensky and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke by phone last April, and China's envoy to Ukraine traveled to Kiev the following month. Since then, relations have become much less personal, although Ukraine remains hopeful that the two sides can resume talks.
