• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is willing to examine aspects of Beijing’s 12-point peace plan.
• According to china, nuclear weapons must be avoided.
• President Xi was expected to deliver a “peace speech” on Friday, but this did not happen.

On Friday, China called for a full cease-fire in Ukraine, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated he was willing to examine aspects of Beijing’s 12-point peace plan.

On the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Moscow’s ally China urged all parties to commit to a gradual de-escalation, warned against the use of nuclear weapons, and stated that war benefits no one.

The plan, outlined in a foreign ministry statement, was basically a reiteration of China’s position since Russia commenced its “special military operation” on February 24 of last year.

China has refrained from denouncing its partner Russia or referring to Moscow’s intervention in its neighbor as an “invasion”. It has also condemned Western sanctions on Russia.

“All parties must stay rational and exercise restraint, avoid fanning the flames and aggravating tensions, and prevent the crisis from deteriorating further or even spiraling out of control,” the ministry said in its paper.

Kyiv’s immediate reply was contemptuous, with a senior adviser to President Zelenskyy stating that any plan to end the war must include the departure of Russian soldiers to the lines that existed when the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991.

In a news conference marking the first anniversary of the conflict, Zelenskyy, on the other hand, struck a more receptive tone.

Russia expressed appreciation for China’s initiative and stated that it was willing to achieve its objectives through political and diplomatic measures.

The plans, however, were met with skepticism by NATO.

“China doesn’t have much credibility because they have not been able to condemn the illegal invasion of Ukraine,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Tallinn.

NO NUCLEAR WAR

After severe battlefield defeats in the last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin has signaled his intention to escalate the confrontation, raising the specter of nuclear weapons.

Nuclear weapons, according to China, must be avoided.

“Nuclear weapons must not be used and nuclear wars must not be fought,” the foreign ministry said. “We oppose the development, and use of biological and chemical weapons by any country under any circumstances.”

Since the war began just weeks after Beijing and Russia pledged a “no limits” collaboration, President Xi Jinping has spoken with Putin on a regular basis but only once with his Ukrainian counterpart Zelenskyy. This week, China’s senior diplomat, Wang Yi, visited Moscow for discussions.

“It is urgent that a group of countries not involved in the conflict assume the responsibility of leading negotiations to reestablish peace,” Lula said on Twitter.

President Xi was expected to deliver a “peace speech” on Friday, but this did not happen.

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