China’s perspective on the Ukrainian conflict

• China presented a 12-point peace proposal less than a month ago.
• Russia praised the Chinese peace offers shortly after they were announced.
• Xi and Putin will address issues suggested by China in its peace plan for Ukraine.

With the announcement that Xi Jinping has arrived in Russia, let us take a look at one subject that will almost certainly be at the centre of his discussions with Vladimir Putin.

China presented a 12-point peace proposal less than a month ago in a bid to end the violence in Ukraine, asking for peace negotiations and respect for national sovereignty.

Nevertheless, the text does not explicitly state that Russia must remove its soldiers from Ukraine, and it also criticises the use of “unilateral sanctions,” which is interpreted as a veiled criticism of Ukraine’s Western backers.

Russia praised the Chinese peace offers shortly after they were announced. And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed optimism that China will not supply Russia with weaponry.

Senior adviser to Ukraine’s president, Mykhaylo Podolyak, told Italian media that there is a “absolute contradiction” between the plan’s insistence on respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity and the need for an immediate ceasefire, which Podolyak claims would leave Russia in control of occupied territory.

Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, said ahead of today’s discussions between Xi and Putin that the two will address issues suggested by China in its peace plan for Ukraine.

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