Xi dials Zelenskyy after world decries China doublespeak on Ukraine War
Photo credit Twitter Volodomyr Zelenskyy
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, April 26: Several weeks after making a state visit to Moscow for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese ruler Xi Jinping on Wednesday sought to give a semblance of his seriousness to broker peace in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War. Xi dialed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with reports that China had requested for the phone-call.
“I had a long and meaningful phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine’s ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations,” tweeted Zelenskyy, breaking the news to the world.
A section of commentators jumped to speculate that Chinese mediation in the Ukraine War could be on the line of Beijing brokering peace between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with ramifications for Syria and even Turkey. While Xi made claims of Sino-Russia relations shaping the global order for 100 years, his inability to even make a phone call had given a rude jolt to the western world, particularly the European countries, which were hoping for a breakthrough.
Incidentally, Xi’s phone call to Zelenskyy was a first since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which is also without a parallel for a power which aspires to set the direction of the global order. In contrast, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has maintained equal contacts with both Putin and Zelenskyy in his advocacy for peace and rules-based international order.
The strategic affairs commentators have sought to link China’s lack of interest in Ukraine to Chinses envoy’s sensational claims made in France that nations borne out of the erstwhile Russian Federation has no legal sanctity in the international order. China retracted envoy’s statement, but the damage was already done.
“China cannot be trusted to mediate peace between Russia and Ukraine,” Czech President Petr Pavel told Politico in an interview in which he argued that Beijing benefits from prolonging the war in Ukraine. He voiced the growing assessment in the western world that China is profiteering from the Ukraine War, as Xi’s visit to Moscow was followed by high level military officials’ visit to Russia, including Chinese defence minister Li Shengfu, who had also called on Putin.
“China only wants what’s best for itself. I believe that it is in China’s interest to prolong the status quo, because it can push Russia to a number of concessions,” Politico quoted Pavel having said in the interview.
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