Zelenskyy–Xi meeting unlikely until war resolution, expert says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Chinese leader Xi Jinping (collage by RBC-Ukraine)
China will not back away from its policy of supporting Russia, which makes a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Chinese leader Xi Jinping unlikely before the war is resolved, said historian and diplomat Roman Bezsmertnyi.
"Until there is at least some kind of resolution (regarding the end of the war in Ukraine – ed.), this meeting will not take place. Xi Jinping is not the kind of person who would agree to such a meeting just for the sake of meeting," the expert believes.
He added that the Chinese authorities will likely continue providing financial, military-political, and trade support to Russia. In particular, this includes the supply of dual-use technologies, weapon components, semiconductors, and so on.
According to Bezsmertnyi, no matter how much China denies its involvement in the Russian military-industrial complex, Ukraine has sufficient evidence that the PRC is "implicated" in the production of Russian ballistic missiles and drones. A similar situation likely exists with some European countries as well.
"If there is no progress or coordinated, developed decision in this regard, the meeting will not happen, because once again pointing out that Chinese citizens are fighting within Russian forces, that China is supplying weapons — everyone understands perfectly well that Xi Jinping will not expose himself," the expert noted.
Notably, in recent days, the head of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak, stated that Xi Jinping should meet with Zelenskyy in light of China's deepening support for Russia.
Zelenskyy's conversation with Xi Jinping
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has spoken by phone with Chinese leader Xi Jinping only once.
The two leaders spoke for nearly an hour. The head of the Ukrainian state described the conversation as lengthy and meaningful.
Meanwhile, in 2025, it became known that some Chinese nationals are fighting on Russia's side. In particular, in April, Ukrainian defenders captured two such soldiers.
