Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters on Friday he plans to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“I am planning to meet with Xi Jinping,” Zelenskyy said, but did not provide details as to when or where the meeting will take place. “This will be important for world security,” he added.
The proposed meeting would mark the first time the two leaders meet since Russia’s invasion last year.
Zelenskyy’s remarks came after China released a 12-point position paper on the Ukraine war that called for an end to hostilities, as well as unilateral sanctions.
Responding to the paper, Zelenskyy said, “China talking about Ukraine is a good thing,” but questioned what actions would follow.
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This week, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi visited Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other high-ranking officials, marking the first state visit from Chinese officials since the start of the war.
Wang’s visit was seen as a precursor to a meeting between Putin and Xi reported to take place in the coming months.
Neither Wang nor China’s new position paper have condemned Russia’s invasion.
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While China officially remains neutral on the Ukrainian invasion and has longstanding economic ties to Ukraine, Beijing has made no secret of the fact that it sees Russia as a crucial ally.
After warning Beijing not to violate international sanctions against Kremlin officials, the U.S. and other Western leaders are also growing increasingly concerned about China potentially providing lethal aid to Russia.
China has denied allegations of supplying Russia with even non-lethal equipment, but a new CNN investigation found that China is sending parts labeled for military use to Russia.
