DAVOS: According to Olena Zelenska, the Ukrainian president’s wife, Volodymyr Zelensky, a letter inviting Chinese President Xi Jinping to talks was given to the Chinese delegation in Davos on Wednesday.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February of last year, Zelensky has made numerous attempts to get in touch with Xi in the hope that Beijing will use its power to influence Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenska stated that she had a letter for Xi in a speech she gave on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, but she provided additional details at a press conference on Wednesday.
She explained to reporters, “It was a gesture and an invitation to dialogue, and I hope very much that there will be a response to this invitation.”
In August of last year, just before Putin gave his troops the order to enter Ukraine, China and Russia made the announcement of a partnership with “no limits.”
While simultaneously strengthening its ties with Moscow, particularly in the energy sector, China has sought to portray itself as neutral in the conflict.
However, a number of analysts have suggested that Beijing might eventually act as a mediator and negotiate a cease-fire in Ukraine.
In September of last year, Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged “all parties concerned to keep the crisis from spilling over,” highlighting concern regarding the conflict’s economic impact on nations worldwide.
In August, Zelensky told the South China Morning Post newspaper that he had “formally asked for a conversation” with Xi and that a conversation would be “helpful.”
In September, foreign ministers from both nations met in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
