The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, said that during the conversation with the President of China, Xi Jinping, they discussed the implementation of the Ukrainian peace formula, the return of deported Ukrainian children, the release of prisoners, and the inadmissibility of supplying Russia with weapons.
He said this on April 28 during a conversation with journalists.
During the conversation with the Chinese leader, Zelensky emphasized the inadmissibility of supplying weapons to an aggressor country by any country in the world: "Ukraine would like all countries to understand the risks of supplying any type of weapons to Russia. I heard a positive response in that sense."
During their phone conversation, they also discussed the need to restore Ukraineʼs sovereignty and territorial integrity within the borders of 1991 and the importance of observing the UN Charter.
"They talked about all this and heard respect for all these principles. I believe that this is very important," — Volodymyr Zelenskyi.
The leaders of Ukraine and China also discussed the return of Ukrainian prisoners and nearly 20,000 deported children. "There are moments when we should connect everyone we can, different countries of the world, so that they put pressure on the aggressor and terrorist — Russia, which kidnapped so many of our children," Zelenskyy added.
- On April 26, 2023 , the first conversation between the leaders of Ukraine and China since the beginning of the Russian invasion took place. The conversation took place at the initiative of Kyiv. After that, it became known that China will send a special representative for Eurasian affairs to Ukraine and neighboring countries for "in-depth communication on the political settlement of the crisis in Ukraine." On the same day, it became known about the appointment of a new ambassador to China — he became the former minister for strategic industries Pavlo Ryabikin (the previous ambassador Serhiy Kamyshev died on February 14, 2022, after that no new ambassador was appointed).
- In March 2023, journalists wrote that Chinese companies were transferring rifles, parts for drones and body armor to Russia through Turkey and the UAE, and leaked US secret documents show that China has agreed to supply Russia with lethal weapons (but they are trying to keep it secret).
- On February 23, NATO saw signs that China is "considering and possibly planning" to send weapons to Russia to help it in its war in Ukraine. The head of the US Central Intelligence Agency, William Burns, said on February 26 that he is "sure" that China is considering sending weapons to Russia.