China and Brazil push Ukraine’s peace plan despite Zelensky’s anger
China and Brazil on Friday continued his efforts to rally developing countries around a plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, despite Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyi, He rejected the initiative because he considered it favorable to Moscow’s interests.
Seventeen countries participated in the UN General Assembly session chaired by the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yiand Brazilian foreign policy advisor, Celso Amorim.
Wang told reporters that they discussed the need to prevent the escalation of war, avoid the use of weapons of mass destruction and prevent attacks on nuclear power plants.
“Russia and Ukraine are neighbors who cannot move away from each other and harmony is the only realistic option”Wang said, adding that the international community should support an international peace conference involving both Russia and Ukraine.
Except for Brazil and China 10 countries from the Global South presentincluding Indonesia, South Africa and Turkey, signed the declaration, which Amorim said builds on an earlier six-point plan proposed by Brazil and China in May.
The countries will continue to meet in New York as part of the group “Friends for Peace”he added.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has signed an “unlimited” partnership deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022, less than three weeks before Russian troops enter Ukraine.
Beijing says it has not supplied weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine, but Western countries say its companies provide materials Russia uses to build its war arsenal.
Speaking at a rally on Wednesday, Zelensky questioned why China and Brazil were proposing an alternative to his own peace formula.
Propose “alternatives, half-baked settlement plans, putative sets of principles” it would only give Moscow political room to continue the war, he said.
Asked about Zelensky’s comment, Amorim told the news agency Reuters: “I am not here to answer to either Zelensky or Putin, only to propose a path to peace.”
(With information from Reuters)