‘Beijing has an active interest in bringing an end to the conflict’ and Xi Jingping plans talks with Zelensky next week

The Chinese President Xi Jingping will travel to Moscow next week after securing his third term in office and will meet with Vladimir Putin.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that the Chinese President will hold talks with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.

This will be the first time since the war started on 24 February 2022 that Jingping and Zelensky would have spoken.

The WSJ said, “Chinese leader Xi Jinping plans to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time since the start of the Ukraine war, likely after he visits Moscow next week to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to people familiar with the matter.”

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The talks will take place virtually and the WSJ added, “a direct conversation with Mr. Zelensky, if it happens, would mark a significant step in Beijing’s efforts to play peacemaker in Ukraine, which have so far been met with skepticism in Europe.”

It will be an exceptionally tall task for both Presidents to try to achieve any form of a breakthrough as Moscow will not give up the four annexed regions and Ukraine will not accept the loss of their territory, which includes Crimea which was annexed in 2014.

The WSJ said, “Beijing nevertheless has an active interest in bringing an end to the conflict.

“The war has put Beijing in a precarious situation, forcing Mr. Xi to balance China‘s ‘ no limits’ partnership with Russia with increasing distrust and tension with the United States and its allies.”

Kremlin said that Ukraine must recognise that Crimea is now Russian territory, and Luhansk and Donetsk are independent states.

The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “The leadership of Ukraine has every opportunity to bring the situation back to normal, has every opportunity to resolve the situation in such a way as to fulfil the requirements of the Russian side and, accordingly, end all possible suffering among the population.”

This comes as Moscow are “very worried” that Ukraine has the tactical advantage and they “have momentum” as they are now eyeing Crimea.

Mick Ryan, a former Australian Major General and military strategist, said, “The armed forces of Ukraine seized the initiative in this war some time ago.

“They have momentum. There is no way that they will want to waste that.”