French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated his “Olympic truce” proposal on Friday (17th), aiming to persuade Russia to temporarily halt its actions in Ukraine during the Paris Olympics. However, both Ukrainian and Russian leaders have rejected this proposal.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed in an interview with Agence France-Presse on Friday (17th) that Russia would use any ceasefire to consolidate its military advantage, stating, “We oppose any ceasefire that plays into the enemy’s hands.”
On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin was visiting Harbin in China. Before departing at the end of his visit, Putin stated in a media interview that Moscow would not respond to ceasefire calls during the summer Olympics and criticized the unfair treatment of Russian athletes.
He accused the Olympic Committee of not allowing Russian athletes to perform at the games with their flag, national anthem, and music, stating that they violated their rights while demanding obligations. Putin also mentioned that no one had ever reached agreements in such a manner before.
Putin also mentioned to reporters that Chinese President Xi Jinping has offered many mediation proposals on the Russia-Ukraine issue and has shown great flexibility. Putin expressed that Russia would never refuse negotiations on the Ukraine issue but emphasized that they are analyzing the situation to determine who they can engage with and trust in resolving the Ukrainian crisis.
During Xi Jinping’s visit to France last week, Macron, during a joint press conference, thanked Xi for supporting his proposal for a ceasefire in all conflicts, including Ukraine, during the upcoming Paris Olympics.
Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department, Vedant Patel, mentioned during a routine press briefing on Thursday (16th) when asked about the relationship between Xi Jinping and Putin, saying that Xi Jinping could not achieve a “win-win” situation by strengthening relations with the West and Russia.
A commentary in The New York Times last Wednesday (15th) pointed out that Xi Jinping’s situation is increasingly difficult under diplomatic and economic pressures. Moving closer to Russia will only further alienate Europe, an important trading partner.
(Reference: Associated Press report)