China and Russia resumed talks on a peace proposal on Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov resumed talks with his Chinese counterpart, Quin Gang, for a peace proposal on the war in Ukraine.

The meeting between the two officials took place in the coastal state of Goa, in India, prior to the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Beijing has positioned itself as a mediator in the search for a peaceful solution to the war conflict that began in February 2022. In March, Xi Jinping presented Russian President Vladimir Putin with a 12-point document to end the confrontation.

Among the proposals in the letter, the West was urged to end the sanctions imposed on Moscow and asked to adopt measures to prevent attacks on civilians and guarantee the security of nuclear facilities, the creation of humanitarian corridors for the population and the guarantee cereal export.

Likewise, the need to put an end to the “cold war mentality” and respect for the “legitimate security concerns of countries” was raised, although the latter was seen by the West as a nod to Putin’s demands for a Ukraine. neutral and outside NATO.

Later, in April, Xi Jinping had a “long and meaningful call” with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky, the first between the two leaders since the start of the invasion. In it, Zelensky outlined the guidelines of his own decalogue for peace that requires Russian withdrawal, the restoration of sovereignty on the 1991 borders and guarantees for the end of warlike actions, among others.

China’s role as mediator in the conflict has generated controversy among the actors involved. Moscow believes that the proposal can be a good basis for future negotiations while kyiv hopes to be able to take advantage of Beijing’s influence over Putin to restore peace.

Meanwhile, the United States disbelieves in the mediation of China, whom it accuses of being “anything but an honest intermediary.” Instead, he accused him of having provided the Kremlin with “dynamic support, political support, economic support and rhetorical support.”

Lavrov and Gang agreed, on the other hand, on the “unacceptability of modern practices of neocolonialism, which have a destructive impact on the development of most states in the world and in all spheres of international relations.”

In addition to addressing “hot topics, including efforts to peacefully resolve the Ukraine crisis,” Russian diplomacy reported that officials discussed current international issues, with emphasis on the situation in the Asia-Pacific region, “in the context of the growing activity of extra-regional actors to create various blocks that undermine the security and stability system” in the area.

Likewise, they exchanged opinions on the current state and prospects for achieving further development of the activities of the SCO – made up of Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – which “has growing authority in international affairs.” global and a key importance in the regional security architecture,” added the note released by the Foreign Ministry.

Finally, both officials discussed the development of their bilateral relations “in the context of growing geopolitical instability” and agreed on their intention to coordinate meetings with the UN, the SCO, the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa ), the RIC (Russia, India and China), the G20 and other key international organizations and dialogue mechanisms.

(With information from EFE)

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