The two countries had previously called for an international peace conference with participation of both Moscow and Kiev
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has criticized China and Brazil for “taking Russia’s side” and putting out peace initiatives without first consulting Kiev.
Back in May, the two nations jointly issued a six-point plan for settling the Ukraine conflict, emphasizing that “dialogue and negotiation” are the only “viable way out of the crisis.” They have also called for a new international conference on Ukraine amenable to both Moscow and Kiev.
The previous summit on the conflict was held in Switzerland this summer without representatives from Russia and focused solely on Zelensky’s “peace formula,” which Moscow has vehemently rejected.
Speaking to Brazilian news outlet Metropoles on Wednesday, Zelensky called the Chinese-Brazilian proposal aimed at mutual compromise “destructive” and dismissed it as a “political statement.” He stated that he has since talked to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and also approached Beijing to discuss resolving the conflict.
“Why did you suddenly decide that you should take Russia’s side or be somewhere in the middle? How can you offer ‘here is our initiative’ without asking us anything?” Zelensky asked, suggesting that at the same time, Beijing and Brasilia had discussed the initiative with Russia.
“We are not fools,” Zelensky insisted, using the Russian word for “fools” (duraki) despite conducting the interview with the Brazilian journalist in Ukrainian.
Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated during a meeting with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu on Tuesday that Beijing would continue to promote an imminent ceasefire and political settlement.
“China has always maintained an objective and impartial attitude towards the Ukrainian issue and will continue to work to promote balanced, objective and rational voices in the international community, so as to build more international consensus and accumulate the necessary conditions for an early ceasefire and a political settlement of the crisis,” Wang said.
Moscow has welcomed China’s and Brazil’s peace proposals and expressed appreciation that they have received international backing. However, at the same time, Russian officials have repeatedly cast doubt on the sincerity of Ukraine’s willingness to hold such talks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated last week that the West intends to make Kiev “fight to the last Ukrainian” with the goal of inflicting “a strategic defeat” on Moscow.
