Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, encouraged China to use its political and economic clout to bring the conflict in Ukraine to an end. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday(8/4/22) that he wants to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping “directly” to help end the conflict with Russia. Ukraine’s president pleaded with China in an interview with South China Morning Post(SCMP) to utilize its enormous political and economic clout with Russia to put an end to the conflict. While Zelensky hoped China would adopt a different approach to the crisis, he said he had always wanted the connection between Ukraine and China to be strengthened and improved every year.

Despite China’s desire to maintain a “balanced” approach to the conflict, the Ukrainian leader said it was critical to remember that the conflict was sparked by Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukrainian sovereign land. “At least once,” Zelensky said, Xi had visited Ukraine as one of the few international leaders. During their phone contact last year, the Chinese leader affectionately remembered his ties to Ukraine. Using social media and several media appearances, Zelensky has urged the international community, and Western nations, in particular, to provide Ukraine with more aid since the crisis began. Since Russia invaded Ukraine five months ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked Chinese President Xi Jinping repeatedly to hold direct negotiations with him.