China held talks with the Vatican about its peace plan for Ukraine on Wednesday as the latest offensive continued to push into Russian territory.
The call between Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Vatican’s special peace envoy, and his Chinese counterpart Li Hui was a relatively rare occurrence because the Holy See does not have formal diplomatic ties with Beijing.
“Li Hui appreciates the Vatican’s constant efforts to mediate the Ukraine crisis and provide humanitarian assistance. He stressed that the current situation shows the significance of the six common understandings issued by China and Brazil,” the Chinese foreign ministry said.
The six-point plan includes a call for a ceasefire and a negotiated end to the settlement.
The Chinese foreign ministry said the call had taken place at Zuppi’s invitation. It added that he had thanked the Chinese government for its “unswerving efforts” to promote peace and expressed his appreciation for the six-point plan.
The Vatican has yet to comment on the call.
Although both sides have expressed willingness to talk – under specific conditions – the latest offensive has cast further doubt on the prospects of negotiations taking place any time soon.
Ukraine has urged Moscow to accept a “just peace” after it seized control of dozens of settlements inside Russia for the first time in the war.
The invasion has prompted the border provinces of Kursk and Belgorod to start evacuating residents, and on Wednesday Ukraine continued its offensive, striking four Russian airfields with drones.
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China rejects Nato claim of being ‘decisive enabler’ of Russia in Ukraine war
China rejects Nato claim of being ‘decisive enabler’ of Russia in Ukraine war
China has positioned itself as a peacemaker and has recently stepped up its efforts to push for direct talks between the two warring parties.
Li has been travelling the world to drum up support for its six-point plan, especially among Global South nations.
China says it has so far obtained support from 26 countries and more than 100 have given it a favourable response.
Zuppi also carried out his own peace missions last year, including meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Joe Biden and top advisers to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zuppi also made a three-day trip to Beijing last year to meet Li, but few details of those talks have been made public.
Pan Dawei, director of the Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said the Vatican and China share a similar position on the war.
“In terms of religious significance, the Vatican has a very high position among Western countries,” he said. “If it can join China in [its stance] on Ukraine, of course that is China’s goal.”
Although China insists it is neutral in the war, its position has been one of the main sources of tension with the European Union because of the widespread suspicion about its close ties with Russia.
A number of Chinese companies have been sanctioned by the EU and United States on suspicion of transferring products with dual military and civilian uses to Russia.
