Preliminaries to Russia-Ukraine Negotiations: The Key Role of China
TRANSCEND MEMBERS, 10 Apr 2023
René Wadlow – TRANSCEND Media Service
8 Apr 2023 – President Emmanuel Macron of France was in China from 5 to 7 Apr and urged the country to play a major role in bringing peace to the Russia-Ukraine armed conflict. China’s 12-point plan to resolve the Ukraine conflict has indicated President Xi Jinping’s willingness to be active in peace efforts. While the 12-point peace plan is incomplete, it does propose general principles which can serve as a useful framework. President Macron was accompanied by Ms Von der Leyen of the European Commission, a sign of the wide European concern with the positive role that the Chinese government can play.
After the positive role that Chinese mediators played in the restoration of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, there is an increasing worldwide recognition of the talents of Chinese mediators. China is probably the only country with an ability to influence Russian policymakers in a peaceful direction.
President Macron was the prime mover for action on what was called the Normandy Proposal involving negotiation among Russia and Ukraine, France and Germany. The proposal was to build on the Minsk agreement concerning the two pro-Russian People’s Republics of Ukraine which would remain in Ukraine with a modified Ukrainian constitution recognizing a good deal of autonomy to the People’s Republics.
The Minsk Agreement was never acted upon with no action to modify the Ukrainian Constitution. Since the 2022 Russian invasion, the situation has grown more complex and difficult. However, the Normandy ideas are probably the basis of any future agreement after a first ceasefire.
Military observers predict an increase in fighting in Ukraine now that the winter is over and troops can move more easily; thus the immediate need to start serious negotiations and present alternatives to more fighting. The Macron-Xi talks may have set the stage for at least the preliminaries.
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René Wadlow is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace Development Environment. He is President of the Association of World Citizens, an international peace organization with consultative status with ECOSOC, the United Nations organ facilitating international cooperation and problem-solving in economic and social issues, and editor of Transnational Perspectives.
Tags: Balkans, China, Conflict Mediation, Eastern Europe, European Union, France, Mediation, Russia, Ukraine, Violent conflict, Warfare
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 10 Apr 2023.
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