Top Ukraine official speaks with China’s ambassador about peace summit plans
- Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, meets with Fan Xianrong about a proposed conference to be held in Switzerland
- Meeting follows tour of European capitals by Li Hui, China’s point man on the war in Ukraine, seeking to ‘mediate and build consensus’ for an end to the conflict
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff met with China’s ambassador on Wednesday, as Kyiv pushed for a global peace summit and Beijing stepped up diplomatic efforts to mediate an end to the war with Russia.
Andriy Yermak, head of Zelensky’s presidential office, spoke with Ambassador Fan Xianrong about preparations for a proposed international leaders’ conference to be held in Switzerland, the office said in a statement.
The meeting came after Li Hui, Beijing’s special representative for Eurasian affairs and its point man on the war, finished his tour of European capitals in an effort to “mediate and build consensus” for an end to the conflict, now in its third year.
Li had visited Moscow, Brussels and Warsaw before he met Yermak on March 7 for “frank and friendly talks”. He travelled to Germany and France afterward. It was his second round of “shuttle diplomacy” after a first attempt last May.
Yermak and Fan summarised outcomes of Li’s visit to Kyiv and discussed areas for further cooperation on the Ukrainian Peace Formula, the statement said.
“Yermak thanked the Chinese side for its interest in achieving a just peace for Ukraine,” it said.