Ukraine’s Zelensky says China’s Xi told him he will not sell any weapons to Russia
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (centre) at the Group of Seven summit in Italy.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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KYIV – Chinese President Xi Jinping told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a phone conversation between the two men that China would not sell weapons to Russia, Mr Zelensky said on June 13.
Mr Zelensky was speaking at a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden at the Group of Seven summit in Italy.
He did not specify when the conversation with Mr Xi took place.
“I had a firm conversation with (the) leader of China. He said that he will not sell any weapon to Russia. We’ll see if he’s (a) respectable person, he will not, because he gave me (his) word,” Mr Zelensky said, in English.
Mr Biden chimed in as Mr Zelensky finished speaking, saying: “By the way, China is not supplying weapons but the ability to produce those weapons and the technology available to do it, so it is in fact helping Russia.”
Mr Zelensky said that if Kyiv and China had the same views on peace there could be dialogue between them, and that if Beijing had an alternative view, it could prepare an alternative “peace formula”.
The Ukrainian leader has promoted his vision for peace in Ukraine, which he calls his “peace formula”.
Switzerland is scheduled to host international delegations from dozens of countries and organisations this weekend at a summit to try to bring peace in Ukraine closer.
The last publicly known phone call between Mr Zelensky and Mr Xi was in April 2023, the only such call since Russia’s full-scale invasion. REUTERS
