Podolyak on China's "peace plan": Doesn't make sense and contains contradictions
Mykhailo Podolyak, Adviser to the Head of the Office of President of Ukraine, has stated that China's so-called "peace plan" lacks balanced logic and contains contradictions.
Source: Podolyak in the interview with Corriere della Sera, the Italian outlet.
Quote: "There are no details in it [China's plan – ed.], there is no balanced logic. One of the points says about the inviolability of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the other about the need for an immediate ceasefire, which means the transfer of the occupied territories to Russia: but this is an absolute contradiction.
The peace plan cannot be based on satisfying the interests of the aggressor, it must begin with the forced withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine."
Details: At the same time, Podolyak believes China will not supply Russia with weapons.
"I do not see the point. It would immediately become a known fact, and China would jeopardise its trade and technological relations with other countries. And secondly, why help Russia, which is suffering from the collapse of its own civilization? Soon Russia will cease to exist; it would be a hopeless investment, and China is too pragmatic to make such mistakes. Thirdly, Chinese law prohibits the transfer of weapons to a state at war," said the adviser to the head of the presidential office.
At the same time, he believes that China "can take advantage of the state of a greatly weakened and discredited Russia".
Asked how Ukraine would react to China's possible offer to Russia to retreat to its borders before a full-scale invasion, Podolyak said: "After tens of thousands of deaths and the effective defence of our territories, what is the point of returning to the status quo that forced Russia to attack us a year ago? This is impossible, any such compromise will not lead to peace, but to an aggravation of the situation, and then to a conflict."
Background:
- On 24 February, the Chinese Foreign Ministry published a so-called "peace plan" with its ideas for the settlement of Russia's war against Ukraine.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy immediately stated that there are points in China's so-called "peace plan" that can be worked with, even if he disagrees with "some of the thoughts".
- Western politicians criticised the Chinese initiative. In particular, US President Joe Biden suggested that China’s proposed peace plan would only benefit Russia.
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