In a recent interview with Brazilian outlet Metropoles, President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed criticism towards a peace initiative proposed by Brazil and China, calling it “destructive.” He stated that one must either support the war or not, and if not, then they should help Ukraine stop Russia. Zelensky questioned the compromise in giving up land and ignoring the killings of Ukrainian people, and deemed the initiative as merely a political statement.
The six-point peace plan, proposed by Brazil and China in May, called for both Russia and Ukraine to avoid escalating hostilities and provocations. It was presented as a parallel plan to Ukraine’s own peace efforts, which included a global peace summit in Switzerland in June. However, China did not attend the summit and the Brazilian representative present did not sign the resulting communique. This showed that Ukraine had little success in engaging with countries from the Global South.
Zelensky expressed his frustration with the lack of respect for Ukraine and its territorial integrity in the plan, and stated that he had offered to discuss the proposals with Chinese and Brazilian leaders. He questioned why they would suddenly take Russia’s side or try to remain neutral, and called Russian President Vladimir Putin a murderer. Zelensky emphasized that it is Russia who must take steps towards ending the war.
The six-point plan from Brazil and China includes: avoiding escalation and provocations, holding an international peace conference accepted by both Russia and Ukraine, increasing humanitarian assistance and exchanging prisoners of war, preventing nuclear proliferation and attacks on nuclear facilities, and enhancing international cooperation to protect global industrial and supply chains.
Moscow has previously stated that it would accept Brazil and China as intermediaries for peace talks, but has also demanded that Ukraine give up occupied territory and cede additional ground as conditions for negotiations. In contrast, Ukraine’s 10-point peace formula includes a complete Russian withdrawal from the country. There have been no direct negotiations between the two countries since early 2022.
Read More @ kyivindependent.com