Zelensky Unable to Meet with Chinese Premier: Ukrainian President Comments

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was unable to meet with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Davos due to the reluctance of the Chinese side. This was reported by Politico, citing anonymous sources.

Immediately before the start of the Swiss forum, Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president's office, announced that China should urgently join peace negotiations, implying that Zelensky would have an opportunity to communicate with the Chinese premier. However, in the end, Ukraine failed to secure agreement from China for negotiations.

“China's decision not to meet with Ukrainians appears to have been deliberate, rather than a result of scheduling issues. One senior U.S. official stated that Beijing rejected Kyiv's request for a meeting at a certain point during the Switzerland visits. According to another senior U.S. official, China refused any meeting after Russia called for it to cease diplomatic communications with Ukraine,” Politico reported.

The publication notes that this may indicate that China does not intend to pursue a cessation of the war in Ukraine. Instead, it has positioned itself alongside Russia, supplying Moscow with materials of military significance despite Western pressure and sanctions.

A Ukrainian official commented to Politico that there was no meeting in the delegation’s schedule with Chinese officials, and Kyiv has never requested such a meeting. Chinese officials have not responded to requests for comment.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also stated that he did not plan to meet with Premier Li Qiang at the World Economic Forum in Davos, as this does not align with his level. “The Chinese leader is not here (in Davos). There is the Prime Minister of China; our Prime Minister will meet him. There is no problem here. I would be happy to meet with the Chinese leader. As far as I know, Xi Jinping makes decisions, and I make decisions in Ukraine. ... I do not need any dialogues; I need important decisions from those leaders who make those decisions,” the Ukrainian president declared.