By Burc Eruygur
ISTANBUL (AA) - Kyiv said China’s high-level participation in the upcoming Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland could have contributed to achieving a “just and lasting” peace in the war-torn country.
“The participation of a high-ranking Chinese official could have provided an excellent opportunity to make a practical contribution to achieving just and lasting peace in Ukraine while also restoring its territorial integrity,” said a statement by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, in response to recent remarks by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
A day earlier, Wang said during a news conference with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Beijing that China encourages and supports all initiatives trying to ease the situation in Ukraine and achieving peace, underlining efforts made by Switzerland on the upcoming peace summit scheduled to be held later this month.
The statement said China “rightfully declares its respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states, as well as its intention to make every effort for peace.”
It further said Beijing’s presence at the Ukraine peace summit would be a "significant signal" of China's balanced position.
“We believe that all states that sincerely want peace to be restored should work together to ensure the Summit is (a) success rather than making efforts to undermine it,” the statement also said.
Ukraine must define what peace should look like, taking into account that it is the side “on whose territory the war takes place and the country that bears the full brunt of Russian aggression,” it added.
“The only just foundation for achieving such peace is President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula,” the statement noted.
Zelenskyy said over the weekend that 106 countries have confirmed their participation in the Ukraine peace summit, which will take place on June 15-16 at the five-star Burgenstock Hotel above Lake Lucerne in Switzerland.
China has declined to participate in the summit, pointing to conditions that make it “hard to participate” and its support for an international peace conference recognized by both Russia and Ukraine “with equal participation and fair discussion of all peace proposals.”