Ukraine has called on China to leverage its influence over Vladimir Putin to advance peace, as the Russian president arrived in Beijing following his participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, where he defended the war that has killed tens of thousands.
“Given the significant geopolitical role of the People’s Republic of China, we would welcome a more active role [from Beijing] in bringing peace to Ukraine based on respect for the UN Charter,” said the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry in a statement released on September 2, coinciding with Putin’s arrival in the Chinese capital.
The ministry highlighted that the SCO summit’s final declaration avoided any mention of the conflict in Ukraine, despite it being a full-scale war since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
“We find it significant that the summit’s 20-page final Tianjin Declaration contains no reference to Russia’s war against Ukraine,” the statement said.
“It is striking that Europe’s largest act of aggression since World War II was not reflected in such a key and foundational document, while a number of other wars, terrorist attacks, and global events are mentioned.”
Ukraine’s statement criticized this omission, noting it reflects Moscow’s failure in diplomatic efforts to legitimize its war.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly urged China, a close ally of Russia, to pressure Putin to end the conflict.
Meanwhile, a major military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II is scheduled in Beijing on September 3, with many world leaders, including Putin, remaining in China after the SCO summit to participate.
