The President Zelensky works at a piano di medium-high pace to end the war in Ukraine. "It would be naïve to expect steps towards peace from Russia, which enjoys being a terrorist state," the Ukrainian president said. "Restoring the international legal order is our common task." Zelensky's intention, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cites EU and Ukrainian diplomats, is to present him around February 24, the first anniversary of the Russian invasion. Until that date, however, Kiev's idea is to maximize its territorial reconquests with "as many victories as possible", in order to then present itself stronger at any negotiating table.
However, as much as we can talk about peace, it takes two to get it. And the Kremlin underlines that "Kiev does not take current reality into account" and that they do not know that there is any peace plan on the Ukrainian side, and consequently on Zelensky's side.
"I can only tell you that we are evaluating what he has proposed" Zelensky, added the head of US diplomacy Antony J. Blinken, according to which the Kiev formula is "a good start", but without specifying how long it will take the United States and Ukraine to jointly evaluate the peace plan.
Zelensky's peace plan
The ten-point plan, as Repubblica writes, requires nuclear and radioactive security, food security, energy security, release of all prisoners and deportees, territorial integrity, withdrawal of Russian forces and ceasefire, justice for war crimes committed, assessment and compensation of the ecological damage suffered, prevention of a future escalation, and thus the end of the war in a just and lasting manner.
These ideas were reviewed with Biden, and on Thursday Blinken revealed that he had discussed them with his G7 colleagues: “We are studying what the Ukrainian president has proposed. I just spoke to our G7 partners, and this is one of the things discussed." Then he clarified: “Nobody wants her more than Zelensky and his people than him, they are suffering from the aggression. But it must be fair and lasting", a "just" peace means not simply ratifying the conquest of the territory of one country by another with force, and lastingly that it holds, not putting Ukraine in the condition that Russia can repeat what did in a month, six months or a year”.
Zelensky peace plan: evidence of thaw between the United States and China
Ukrainian President Zelensky had recently left Washington, when Secretary of State Blinken called his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. At the heart of the phone call was the need to "keep the lines of communication open and to responsibly manage relations" between the two superpowers. The US Secretary also expressed concern about Russia's war against Ukraine and the threats it poses to global security and economic stability, but also about the Covid-19 situation in China.
It is not yet a declared agreement and many factors could undermine the "harmony" of Bali, from Taiwan to TikTok, but for the first time the two countries seem to be charting a common course, at least as regards the war in Ukraine.
New year, new atmosphere in US-China relations
On a note of optimism, Wang said the new year "should have a new atmosphere" in the bilateral relations between the two countries. “The two countries and the world's population hope that Sino-US relations will stop plummeting and recover,” she said during the call.
Everyone plays a different game. Before Bali, Xi welcomed German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Beijing to ask "Germany and Europe to facilitate the Ukraine-Russia negotiations" and then, during a multilateral summit in Uzbekistan with Putin, he reiterated his "no ” to the use of nuclear weapons. In September, Putin himself acknowledged that Beijing had expressed "questions" and "concerns" about the war in Ukraine following his meeting with Xi.
China for its part would like to make Putin understand that his way out of the disastrous war is not to send more soldiers to the front but to stop the fighting and try to save what is left of the Russian economy. Biden, on the opposite side, welcomes Zelensky, "gives" him Patriot missiles to protect the Ukrainian skies but then asks him to face a "just peace", which is also acceptable by Moscow.
On the international arena, China's choice to raise its profile in the Russia-Ukraine war stands out. “We have always been on the side of peace and now we want to play a constructive role,” Wang Yi told Blinken.
Covid in China
While the cases of Coronavirus increase in China, the US secretary of state "underlined the importance of transparency for the international community". A warning in memory of Beijing's management of the epidemic in 2020, when it was hidden from the world. As we know, the dragon is grappling with a huge surge in Covid cases after it removed its zero-covid policy in the face of widespread discontent. A move that is costing China a lot even if a handful of deaths have been officially declared.
Blinken said the US was ready to assist China with vaccines, but noted that Beijing has never asked for any help. "We want China to keep the epidemic under control", but the People's Republic of China indirectly responds with a "no thanks", vaccine stocks "are generally able to meet the demand".
China: "Stop US bullying, don't point a knife at us"
During the phone call there was certainly no lack of accusations from both.
"Stop the unilateral bullying against China" by the United States, which "points the knife" at Beijing while they say they are seeking dialogue. This is what Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging him to implement the strategies discussed between Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden in Bali, in Indonesia. ”The United States should not call for dialogue and at the same time contain China, talk about cooperation, but point the knife at China. This is not managing disputes, but escalating conflicts,” Wang said. “China will continue to defend its sovereignty and development interests. The United States must heed China's justified concerns and stop trying to contain it. And especially don't challenge China's red lines,” he added.
