The 79th United Nations General Assembly is convening in New York, United States, at a critical moment when the world is facing increasing geopolitical and security instability. According to a Ukrainian government document, the Chinese Communist Party has proposed a so-called “peace plan” beneficial to Russia at this session, causing deep concern among Ukrainian officials. The United States has expressed opposition to this plan.
A document obtained by Politico magazine reveals that the Chinese authorities are seeking support from Latin American, Asian, and African countries behind the scenes at the United Nations to facilitate an agreement favorable to Russia in order to end the conflict in Ukraine.
The document discloses that China hopes for support from these countries to advance its plan based on the “Six-Point Peace Plan” proposed by China and Brazil in May, emphasizing that “the battlefield does not expand, the conflict does not escalate, and all parties do not provoke each other.” This would allow Russia to maintain its current level of military strength while continuing to occupy Ukrainian territory.
The purpose of the Chinese authorities, as outlined in the document, is to “prevent Russia from losing the war.” China plans to garner support from approximately over twenty countries to “form some kind of ‘core’ group, which can quickly expand in the future and include other countries from Africa, Latin America, and Asia.”
According to Politico’s report, countries in these regions often maintain a relatively neutral stance in international affairs, leading Beijing to try to leverage these countries as a backing for its plan.
The United States opposes this agreement, while Ukrainian officials are deeply concerned, to the extent that they circulated the document among diplomats attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The document was drafted by the Ukrainian government ahead of this week’s high-level United Nations meeting, but it does not detail how Kyiv learned about China’s plan.
The Ukrainian mission to the United Nations in New York did not respond to requests from Politico for comments on the document. The Chinese Embassy in Washington refused to comment on the disclosure in the document that China is seeking supporters behind the scenes at the United Nations but reiterated its hope for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
At the same time, Ukraine is also urging allies not to accept the plan put forward by China.
On Wednesday, September 25th, Ukrainian President Zelensky addressed the General Assembly, questioning the motives behind China and Brazil’s efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He warned, “By sacrificing Ukraine’s interests, you will not enhance your own strength.”
Zelensky urged global leaders to stand with Ukraine and not seek an “exit strategy” but rather seek “a true, fair peace.” He stated, “Any parallel or alternative attempts to seek peace are actually aimed at calming the war rather than ending it.”
On Thursday, September 26th, Zelensky visited the White House and met with President Biden. Zelensky had previously mentioned presenting his “Victory Plan” in Washington. On the same day, the Biden administration announced providing approximately $8 billion in military aid to Ukraine to assist in winning the Russia-Ukraine war.