Borrell urges Xi Jinping and Lula da Silva to visit Ukraine before talking about peace deals

Adriana Lima
By Adriana Lima 4 Min Read
origin 1“You can’t put the aggressor and the attacked on the same ground and that’s why we support Ukraine,” said Josep Borrell. ©European Union 2023.

President Xi Jinping of China and President Lula da Silva of Brazil should travel to Ukraine and see the war “through the eyes of those who have been bombed” by Russian forces before engaging in further peacebuilding efforts, Josep said Borrell, the European President Head of foreign policy of the Union.

Both China and Brazil have positioned themselves as potential peace brokers in the war, but their ambivalent views have been widely criticized by Western allies as biased, incomplete and Russian-oriented.

A document in 12 points China’s proposal called for the cessation of hostilities and the protection of nuclear power plants, but did not recognize the occupation of Ukrainian territories.

The newspaper expressly avoids using the terms “war” or “invasion” to describe the circumstances inside the country, instead speaking of “crisis” and calls for the abandonment of the “cold war mentality” and “non-literal sanctions”.

Although badly received in the West, Beijing’s plan was welcomed by Brazilian President Lula da Silva, who in recent days aroused controversy for suggesting that the US and EU were fueling the war through their continued arms supplies to Ukraine.

Following a meeting of foreign affairs ministers in Luxembourg, Josep Borrell issued his own rebuke against both countries.

“I want to remind all the people who are calling for peace now of the horrific situation on the ground. I am also calling for peace,” Borrell said on Monday afternoon.

“But it must be a just peace and until then we will continue to support the defense of Ukraine,” he continued.

“Recently some ideas have been launched by China and also by Brazil. For a credible and honest peace effort, you have to talk to Kiev and go there to see the aggression through the eyes of those who have been bombed.”

Neither President Xi nor President Lula have visited Ukraine.

European leaders they encouraged Xi Jinping to have at least a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy but the Chinese leader remains vague.

Xi’s refusal stands in stark contrast to the ties he has cultivated with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he referred to as a “dear friend” during a recent visit to Moscow.

“You have to be very clear about what’s going on,” Borrell continued.

You cannot equate the aggressor with the attacked, and that is why we support Ukraine.

“There is an aggressor who has violated the UN Charter and invaded another country. And there is a victim of this aggression.”

Borrell went on to add that the EU cannot accept “this kind of benevolent approach” where the two sides appear to be equally blamed for the war.

“You can’t put the aggressor and the attacked on the same ground, and that’s why we support Ukraine,” he said.

Speaking more specifically of China’s widely debated stance, Borrell urged Beijing to apply international rules “entirely” and “not selectively”.

“When it comes to Russia’s unjustified war against Ukraine, China, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has a responsibility to uphold the UN Charter,” he said.

Again, Borrell said the 27 EU countries need to reevaluate the bloc’s unified strategy on China to take into account all the developments in recent years.

The latest EU strategy on China dates from 2019.

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