Paris reiterates its full support for Ukraine
France reiterated its support and that of the European Union (EU) for Ukraine on the occasion of a visit to Europe by a Chinese envoy sent by Beijing to discuss a political solution to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. The French Foreign Ministry, through its director-general for political and security affairs Frédéric Mondoloni, at a meeting with Chinese special envoy Li Hui in charge of Ukraine, stressed “Russia’s full responsibility for the outbreak and continuation of the war”. Files, according to a press release from Paris.
According to the text, while France “welcomed the resumption of dialogue between China and Ukraine”, it recalled that Kyiv “is exercising its right to self-defense” and stressed that it and the EU were “determined to support it”. [l’Ukraine] long-term, in all areas.”
Mr. Li, a former Chinese ambassador to Moscow, has been touring Europe for a week to discuss the “political solution” to the conflict in Ukraine. He had spent two days in Kiev and one day in Poland before traveling to France. He then has to win Germany and Russia. Moscow and Beijing maintain close ties. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Moscow in March and said relations were “entering a new era”.
China describes itself as neutral in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and has been criticized for not condemning the Russian invasion. On Friday, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Wojciech Gerwel “expressed the hope that China (…) will condemn Russia’s aggression and put pressure on Russia to return to respect for international legal principles.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hopes Beijing will use its influence over Moscow to help end the war, fueled by new promises from Western arms and European countries. Ukraine will “not accept any proposal that would mean losing its territories or freezing the conflict,” Kyiv said Wednesday after a meeting between its chief of diplomacy Dmytro Kuleba and Li Hui.