Xi Jinping urged to push for early de-escalation of the situation in Ukraine

China advocates the need to promote the earliest "détente" of the situation in Ukraine, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at a meeting with Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council and United Russia Party Chairman Dmitry Medvedev on December 12.

"On the issue of the Ukrainian crisis, China has repeatedly emphasized its intention to adhere to three principles - preventing the expansion of the war zone, escalation of the conflict and fanning the flames of either side. China will continue to adhere to its consistent position and work with the international community to create favorable conditions for a political settlement of the crisis," Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.

The Chinese leader also noted that China is ready to strengthen the pairing of development strategies with Russia, to identify internal drivers of bilateral cooperation and constantly benefit the peoples of both countries.

Earlier, on December 8, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin repeatedly spoke about Moscow's openness to negotiations on Ukraine and the terms of cessation of hostilities are well known. At the same time, Peskov noted that the Russian side welcomes proposals from China, India, Brazil and other countries.

In late September, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China, Brazil and other countries of the Global South intend to create an open platform "Friends of Peace" on the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. According to him, Beijing is against fueling the crisis and promotes peace talks. As Dmitry Novikov, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, pointed out, China will not ignore the interests of the Russian Federation when trying to reach a settlement.

Ukrainian diplomats have called for a boycott of China's peace plan, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose term of office expired on May 20, has spoken out sharply against the proposal. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called his assessments boorish. Subsequently, media reported that Ukraine softened its stance on the Brazil-China plan and wants to combine them with Zelensky's so-called victory plan.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which was announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the backdrop of the aggravated situation in the region.