Will Ukraine participate in a Peace Summit organized by China: a diplomat's comment

Ukraine may participate in a peace summit organized by China if such a conference is based on the principles of respect for international law and the UN Charter.

This was stated by Ukraine's Ambassador to Singapore, Kateryna Zelenko, in an interview with the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post. 

Zelenko responded to a question about whether China had influenced Russia in Southeast Asia to deter some countries in the region from participating in the Swiss Peace Summit. The diplomat emphasized that Ukraine "does not and has never considered China as an adversary," but rather wants to see Beijing "as a friend."

The ambassador noted that Ukraine would consider participating in a peace summit led by China and involving Russia if the negotiations are based on "the rules and principles enshrined in the UN Charter and international law."

Zelenko also thanked the Southeast Asian countries that participated in the Peace Summit. She urged the rest of the region's countries not to "lose sight of the bigger picture" of the war in Ukraine, as the inability to justly end the war will result in a high cost for the "weakest" states.

"The weakest always pay the ultimate price – the price of gold, the price of missing products on the shelves, and much more. Many Asian countries know how high the price of freedom is and it's better to take on leadership and follow it than to pay the consequences of inaction," the Ukrainian diplomat said.

"Establishing peace is never easy, it has its cost, but the cost of inaction is higher," she stressed.

Zelenko also mentioned that there is potential for deepening cooperation between Ukraine and Southeast Asia, and she hopes for greater involvement of people from this region in Ukraine, particularly in post-war reconstruction projects.

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