Zelenskyy to meet Xi Jinping amid China ‘peace plan’; Vladimir Putin’s new missile threat
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Xi Jinping will meet after China issued a ‘12-point settlement’, in what could be the closest shot at a peace deal since the war began one year ago.
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Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is set to meet Chinese chairman Xi Jinping in what could be the closest shot at ending the conflict since Russia invaded one year ago.
The meeting, the first between leaders of Ukraine and China, was outlined by Zelenskyy after he said there was some merit in Beijing’s 12-point paper on a “political settlement” of the crisis.
“I am planning to meet with Xi Jinping,” he told reporters, without confirming when or where. “This will be important for world security.”
It comes as the United States announced a new sanctions package against Russia and G7 joined Zelenskyy in a virtual summit to warn countries dealing with Russia in opposition to sanctions.
China’s foreign minister Wang Wenbin was elusive when asked, before Zelenskyy’s confirmation, whether there would be a meeting between the two leaders to hash out their peace proposal.
“We have maintained smooth communication with all relevant parties, including Ukraine,” he said.
“China would like to build on the position document, work with the rest of the world, and make our contribution to the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.”
The position document was earlier presented by Chinese diplomat Wang Yi to Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, and foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.
Russia welcomed Beijing’s efforts but said any end to the conflict should recognise Russia’s control over four Ukrainian regions.
“We highly value the sincere desire of our Chinese friends to contribute to the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine through peaceful means,” the foreign ministry said, added any settlement must recognise “the new territorial realities”.
Zelenskyy, however, has different realities in mind. On the first anniversary of the conflict, the Ukrainian president vowed to defeat Russia this year.
His army will be aided in the effort with the first German-made Leopard battle tanks arriving in Ukraine from Warsaw.
More tanks will be sent soon, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in Kyiv, also offering to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F16 jets.
Russia remained defiant, with former president Dmitry Medvedev insisting that his country is ready to push its offensive “to the borders of Poland”.
Tensions were also building on Ukraine’s border with Moldova. Moscow, claiming Kyiv is plotting to invade the breakaway region of Transnistria, has promised to respond. Moldova denied any threat from Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine will prevail if the West keeps to its pledges on weaponry and financial contributions.
“If partners respect all their promises and deadlines, victory will inevitably await us,” Zelenskyy said during a press conference that started with a minute of silence.
Earlier Friday, he said in a statement that Ukraine “will do everything to gain victory this year” while Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said his army was gearing up for a counteroffensive.
China, meanwhile, sought to position itself as a neutral party while maintaining close ties with Russia with its 12-point position paper.
Beijing urged Ukraine and Russia to hold peace talks as soon as possible and said all territorial sovereignty should be respected.
Zelenskyy noted that Beijing’s paper appeared to show “there is respect for our territorial integrity, security issues”.
“All parties must stay rational and exercise restraint, avoid fanning the flames and aggravating tensions, and prevent the crisis from deteriorating further or even spiralling out of control,” China’s foreign ministry said in its paper.
The document calls for the respect for sovereignty of all countries, abandoning “Cold War mentality”, ceasing hostilities, resuming peace talks, resolving the humanitarian crisis, and protecting civilians and prisoners of war.
It also called for nuclear power plants to be safe, facilitate grain exports, stop unilateral sanctions, keep industrial and supply chains stable, and promote post-conflict reconstruction.
CHINA ISSUES 12-POINT PEACE PLAN
China has called for Russia and Ukraine to hold peace talks as soon as possible while insisting that nuclear weapons must not be used in their conflict.
China made the comments in a 12-point paper on the “political settlement” of the crisis, timed to coincide with the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“All parties should support Russia and Ukraine in working in the same direction and resuming direct dialogue as quickly as possible,” said the paper, released on the foreign ministry’s website.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to use nuclear weapons in the conflict.
China made clear its opposition to not only the use of nuclear weapons, but the threat of deploying them.
“Nuclear weapons must not be used and nuclear wars must not be fought. The threat or use of nuclear weapons should be opposed,” the statement said.
China also highlighted the need to protect civilians.
“Parties to the conflict should strictly abide by international humanitarian law, avoid attacking civilians or civilian facilities,” it said.
China has sought to position itself as a neutral party in the conflict while maintaining close ties with strategic ally Russia.
Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi met on Wednesday with Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Following Wang’s visit, Moscow said Beijing had presented its views on approaches to a “political settlement” of the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday he had not seen any Chinese peace plan and wanted to meet with Beijing over their proposal before assessing it.
“I think it is a very good fact in general that China started talking about Ukraine and sent some signals,” Mr Zelenskyy said.
“We’ll draw some conclusions after we see the specifics of what they offer … We would like to have a meeting with China.” Since Russian tanks rolled over the border into Ukraine, China has offered Putin diplomatic and financial support, but refrained from overt military involvement or sending caches of lethal arms.
Chinese state-controlled firms have sold nonlethal drones and other equipment to both Russia and Ukraine, but Moscow has been forced to turn to Iran for much-needed supplies such as unmanned aerial vehicles.
The United States has said North Korea has also provided rockets and artillery shells.
Washington believes that might be about to change, with both the United States and NATO voicing concerns that China could be planning to supply Russia with weapons to prop up its war effort. Beijing has denied the claims.
PUTIN VOWS TO USE ‘SATAN’ MISSILES
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday the new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile will be deployed this year following US reports that the weapon failed a recent test.
The Sarmat – dubbed Satan 2 by Western analysts – is capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads and is among Russia’s next-generation missiles that Putin has described as “invincible”.
“We pay special attention, as before, to strengthening the nuclear triad. This year, the first launchers of the Sarmat missile system will be put on combat duty,” he said in a video released by the Kremlin to mark the “Defender of the Fatherland Day” in Russia.
The address also comes a day before the first anniversary of Russia’s military campaign in neighbouring Ukraine.
CNN has cited two anonymous US officials as saying the Sarmat appears to have failed a test this week.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday declined to comment on the report, saying it was “the prerogative of the defence ministry”.
Putin has said the heavy Sarmat missile can hit any target on Earth and will make the Kremlin’s enemies “think twice”.
It comes as during a state of the nation address on Tuesday, Putin said Russia will be suspending its participation in the New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms pact with Washington.
But Moscow later said it would still comply with the treaty until it expires in early 2026.
BIDEN’S UNFORTUNATE STUMBLE
US President Joe Biden has had an embarrassing end to his whirlwind three-day visit to Europe, stumbling up the stairs of Air Force One again as he departed Warsaw for the US.
Mr Biden was walking briskly up the stairs of the jet when he lost his footing and tripped over to the horrified gasps of onlookers.
He landed on his knees but managed to steady himself and continued up the staircase without holding the railing.
Looking somewhat shaken, Mr Biden turned around and waved to spectators when he reached the top of the stairs.
His tumble is the latest in a line of mishaps. The US President fell up the stairs of Air Force One just two months into his administration in March 2021. In June, he also fell off his bike while spending a weekend in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Mr Biden surprised the world on Monday by showing up in the capital of Ukraine after a secret flight from Joint Base Andrews.
He then spent two days in Warsaw meeting with NATO leaders.
Mr Biden’s doctor last week ruled that the oldest president in US history “remains fit for duty”.
Dr Kevin O’Connor’s medical report came despite a former White House physician warning Mr Biden needed a cognitive exam.
“President Biden remains a healthy, vigorous 80-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency, to include those as chief executive, head of state and commander in chief,” Dr Kevin O’Connor said in his written report.
But Barack Obama and Donald Trump’s physician Dr Ronny Jackson criticised Dr O’Connor for not speaking publicly about Mr Biden’s health, as he did when he served the former presidents.
He told the New York Post the “objective data is not going to be good”, given Mr Biden had been plagued by embarrassing gaffes and memory lapses while in office, including appearing to forget Scott Morrison’s name when the AUKUS pact was unveiled.
“Kevin O’Connor owes it to the country to step up to the plate right now and stand up before the press and answer all the hard questions,” said Dr Jackson, who is now a Republican congressman.
‘BIG MISTAKE’: BIDEN RESPONDS TO PUTIN’S NUCLEAR DECISION
Mr Biden called out Russia for making a “big mistake” over the suspension of a nuclear treaty as Moscow sought closer ties to China and said it was fighting for “historical” lands in Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Mr Biden spoke before meeting NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and eastern European leaders in a bid to shore up support for Kyiv nearly a year after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Asked by a journalist for a reaction to Russia’s decision, Mr Biden at first joked in Warsaw that he didn’t “have time”, then said: “big mistake”.
His comments came after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the suspension of Moscow’s participation in the New START arms treaty and vowed to press on with the campaign in Ukraine, during a state of the nation address on Tuesday,
The leaders of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia attended the talks with Biden in Warsaw amid widespread concern in their countries that the conflict could spill over.
Mr Stoltenberg urged allies to “step up our support for Ukraine” saying that “we cannot allow Russia to continue to chip away at European security”.
PUTIN HAILS FIGHT ‘FOR HISTORICAL LANDS’
In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a patriotic rally, telling a crowd of tens of thousands that Russia was fighting “for our historical lands, for our people” on Wednesday.
In a short address to the tens of thousands gathered at Moscow’s main Luzhniki stadium, Putin also praised Russian servicemen in Ukraine who are “fighting heroically, courageously, bravely: we are proud of them”.
All those who supported the Russian army were “to a certain extent also a defender of the fatherland”, he added.
“This includes healthcare workers, employees of the defence and transport sectors … and you all, who came today to support our fighters.”
The audience, waving Russian flags, braved cold winter temperatures of -15C, to come watch patriotic performances and speeches.
Earlier, he held talks with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi, who was visiting Moscow after Washington and NATO voiced concern that China could be preparing to supply Russia with weapons to pursue its war in Ukraine.
“We will not be overwhelmed by threats and pressure from third parties,” Mr Wang said.
‘NEVER’: BIDEN FIRES BACK AT PUTIN
US President Joe Biden also hit back at Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, slamming his claim that the US wanted to “destroy Russia” and defiantly declaring “Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia – never.”
Mr Biden described Mr Putin as a dictator who was set to lose the war, during a speech in Warsaw, Poland to mark the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine and rally support for the fight against Russia.
“The United States and the nations of Europe do not seek to control or destroy Russia,” Mr Biden said to cheers in the grounds of Warsaw’s Royal Castle.
“The West was not plotting to attack Russia, as Putin said today and millions of Russian citizens only want to live in peace with their neighbours are not the enemy. This war was never a necessity. It’s a tragedy.”
He accused the Russian leader of war crimes on a massive scale and vowed to support Ukraine.
Mr Putin “thought autocrats like himself were tough and leaders of democracy were soft and then he met the iron will of America and nations everywhere that refused to accept a world governed by fear,” he said.
“There should be no doubt: our support for Ukraine will not waver, NATO will not be divided and we will not tire.”
He told the packed crowd: “One year ago, the world was bracing for the fall of Kyiv.
“Well I just came from a visit to Kyiv, and I can report Kyiv stands strong.
“Kyiv stands proud, it stands tall and, most important, it stands free.”
AUSTRALIAN CELEBS FILM UKRAINE SUPPORT VIDEO
Some of Australia’s top athletes and well-known figures have filmed a special UNICEF video in support of the children of Ukraine.
The video marks the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Olympian Emma McKeon and cricketers Pat Cummins and Aaron Finch have joined former Walking Dead actor, Callan McAuliffe, chef Adam Liaw, Sunrise’s Edwina
Bartholomew, artist Ken Done and Erica Packer to highlight the violence, fear, loss and
tragedy the children of Ukraine have endured over the past 12 months and the critical
support UNICEF is providing.
UNICEF Australia CEO Tony Stuart said children should be in classrooms not caught in conflict.
“There is not a single aspect of children’s lives in the war-torn country that the conflict has not impacted, with children killed, injured, forced from their homes and missing out on critical education,” Mr Stuart said.
“UNICEF is on the ground providing lifesaving supplies, funding safe spaces for children to play and psychosocial support for trauma. I thank these friends of UNICEF for drawing attention to the children who are enduring the loss of their childhood.”
FOREIGN MINISTER ‘DIED AFTER MEETING PUTIN OFFICIALS’
The foreign minister of Belarus reportedly died by suicide just days after returning from a meeting with Vladimir Putin’s officials in Armenia.
Long-serving Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei, 64, was reported to have suffered a heart attack when he died suddenly on November 26.
But according to a new report from the independent Belarusian media outlet Nasha Niva, citing four unrelated sources, the liberal-leaning Mr Makei took his own life four days after attending the summit in Armenia.
🚨 #Belarus: Foreign Affairs Minister Vladimir Makei is dead at 64 years old. Cause of death unknown at this time. pic.twitter.com/71UlPbEmwJ
— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) November 26, 2022
“Makei’s friends say he was painfully upset by the collapse of the course he was leading,” reported Nasha Niva.
The outlet added that those close to him did not believe he was murdered.
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko reportedly aimed to replace Mr Makei, although it was unclear whether this was at Moscow’s behest.
“Recently, he has been denied personal attention (from Lukashenko),” Mr Makei’s colleague said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “It was very perceptible to him.”
Those who knew the minister told the publication that he felt “unnecessary” and “sometimes simply out of place.”
Ominously, Mr Makei, who had been experiencing marital issues, had said seven months before his death: “I don’t remember who said it, but if you are going to be executed, then it is better to be executed for loyalty than for treason.”
‘LIES’: PUTIN TAKES AIM AT THE WEST
Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the West for the escalation of the Ukraine conflict and made a veiled threat to retaliate using nuclear weapons, during his state of the nation address.
“The responsibility for fuelling the Ukrainian conflict, for its escalation, for the number of victims … lies completely with Western elites,” Mr Putin said in reference to Kyiv’s allies’ promising to send new weapons to Ukraine.
Speaking ahead of the first anniversary of Moscow’s offensive, Mr Putin cast Russia and Ukraine as victims of Western double-dealing and accused the West of wanting “to be done with” his country.
He said Russia, not Ukraine, was the one fighting for its very existence – something considered a red line for the Kremlin.
“Western elites are not hiding their goal – to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. It means to be done with us once and for all,” Mr Putin said just one day after US President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine.
The speech reiterated a litany of grievances that the Russian leader has frequently offered as justification for the widely condemned war and ignored international demands to pull back from occupied areas in Ukraine.
Mr Putin also announced that Russia was pulling back from the New START treaty with the US which reduces and limits each country’s nuclear arsenal.
“In this regard, I am forced to announce today that Russia is suspending its participation in the strategic offensive arms treaty,” he said.
The New START treaty, first signed in April 2010, limits the US and Russia from having more than 1,550 nuclear warheads deployed on delivery systems like intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missile or heavy bombers.
Both the countries are capable of deploying far more than the allotted nuclear warheads as Washington and Moscow have a combined total of more than 13,000 warheads – making up roughly 90 per cent of the world’s nuclear arsenal, according to data provided by the Arms Control Association.
Following the nuclear arms race that largely came to an end with the fall of the Soviet Union, the UN has pushed for nuclear disarmament and global warheads inventories have dropped since hitting their peak in 1985, when more than 70,000 warheads were estimated to make up global stockpiles, Fox News reports.
Russia has continued its attack on Ukraine over the last year despite Western sanctions and losses on the battlefield. Ukraine’s defence has been supported by a number of other countries, most of which are in the West.
In his state of the nation address, Mr Putin said that Russians who had chosen “the path of betrayal” must be brought to justice.
“Those who have embarked on the path of betrayal of Russia must be held accountable under the law,” Mr Putin said, adding that authorities would not unleash a “witch hunt” against dissenters.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a “strategic failure” as Mr vowed to “systematically” continue the offensive.
“One year after President Putin attacked Ukraine. It’s clear that his war has been a strategic failure in every way,” Blinken said in Athens at the close of a five-day trip to the region.
“No one wanted this war. No one likes this war. Everyone wants it to end as quickly as possible,” Blinken said.
“If we allow this to go forward with impunity, then we will open a Pandora’s box around the world where might makes right,” he said.
– with AFP
• If you are experiencing mental health issues or suicidal feelings contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, BeyondBlue 1300 224 636, Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 or Headspace on 1800 650 890. If it is an emergency call triple-0.
Originally published as Zelenskyy to meet Xi Jinping amid China ‘peace plan’; Vladimir Putin’s new missile threat
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