Peace talks on war in Ukraine are impossible without Russia and China - Czech President
Czech President Petr Pavel (Getty Images)
Peace negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine are impossible without Russia and China. Beijing must take on greater responsibility for global peace based on rules, not on who has a larger military or economic power, according to Czech President Petr Pavel.
According to him, by the end of this year or early next year, some changes in the conflict are expected. Such a development, Pavel said, will be related to the fact that this year, many important elections will be held in major countries, the first of which will be the presidential elections in the United States.
The Czech President said that another factor is the fatigue from the war, which affects both warring sides.
"If it is possible (Russia's participation in the second peace summit, - ed.), we will see what the coming months bring. But in any case, it is necessary and desirable," he said.
However, according to him, the negotiations will not make sense if Russia conducts them as it has so far, essentially putting forward capitulatory conditions.
"But without Russia and China at the table, peace negotiations will indeed not take place," he said.
Therefore, according to the Czech president, China should play the role it would like to play.
"That is, a great global player, which it undoubtedly is in the economy and finance, but perhaps not yet in the politics of enforcing peace," he added.
Pavel believes that if China does not do this, Russia will not feel the internal necessity to act.
"On the contrary, it will try to gain advantages for itself. Whether on the battlefield or in the field of international politics," he said.
Ukraine-Russia negotiations
Ukraine has legislatively banned conducting peace negotiations with Russia regarding the war. However, Kyiv is preparing to present a plan that will be considered at the second peace summit, and there is hope that Russia may participate in this event.
Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War emphasize that Ukraine's demands for a peace plan are justified, while Russia's demands contradict international law.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is ready to consider a diplomatic resolution of the conflict.
At the same time, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukraine could negotiate with Russia at a certain stage.
