Diplomat slams China’s “peace plan” as cover for economic exploitation of Russia

As China continues to refer to the conflict as a "crisis" rather than a "war," Ukrainian diplomat Andrii Veselovskyy warns that Beijing's peace proposals should be disregarded,

Sep 17, 2024 - 21:00
Diplomat slams China’s “peace plan” as cover for economic exploitation of Russia

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As long as China continues to use terms like “Ukrainian crisis” instead of Russia’s war against Ukraine, no attention should be paid to Beijing’s so-called “peace plans,” diplomat Andrii Veselovskyy, former Ambassador of Ukraine to the EU told “Radio NV” in the latest interview.

Earlier, China’s Special Envoy for Eurasian Affairs, Li Hui, claimed that the new China-Brazil “peace plan” was allegedly well-received by 110 countries. On 29 August, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Brazil, Andrii Melnyk, stated that Brazil had not informed Ukraine of its intention to present the “peace plan” alongside China.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sharply criticized the China-Brazil peace plan, calling it destructive and politically misguided. The Ukrainian leader also pointed out that the peace initiative lacked any meaningful consideration for Ukraine’s perspective. Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Brazil and China to use their influence to stop Russia rather than promote plans disregarding Ukraine’s interests.

“As long as the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to use the word ‘crisis’ instead of words like ‘war,’ ‘aggression,’ or ‘attack,’ there is no point in paying attention to anything said in Beijing,” Veselovskyy explained.

He pointed out that the war is, to some extent, beneficial for China, as Russia’s economy has become increasingly dependent on ties with China due to the blockade of most other connections. As a result, Russia is becoming more dependent on China, allowing it to purchase anything it wants at lower prices and demand previously unavailable things, such as military technologies or access to specific markets.

“Therefore, the Chinese ‘peace plan’ is based on this simple and, frankly, not-so-secret use of Russia for its economic interests,” the diplomat concluded.

Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning stated that Beijing had taken note of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s critical statement regarding the China-Brazil “six-point consensus” for resolving the situation in Ukraine but would continue to promote the resolution of the “Ukrainian crisis” based on this peace initiative.

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