The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe” with 122 votes, including China. Several other “Russia-friendly” countries, such as Kazakhstan, Armenia, India, and Brazil, also voted in favor.
In particular, the document refers to the “unprecedented challenges” facing Europe after Russian aggression against Ukraine, and before that against Georgia, and calls for “compensation” of the damage sustained by the victims of Moscow’s aggression.
“Five well-known human rights activists, including Russia, Belarus, Nicaragua, Syria, and North Korea, voted against the resolution,” said Kyslytsya.
At the same time, according to Radio Liberty’s Russian service, Russia’s war against Ukraine is not the main subject of the resolution, so it remains unclear whether China’s vote singlas a shift in Beijing’s stance regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ spokesperson Hua Chunying, Ukraine requested the conversation. China plans to send a government envoy to deepen communication around the political settlement of the Russian war, which Beijing refers to as the “Ukrainian crisis.”
On the same day, Zelenskyy appointed former Minister for Strategic Industry, Pavlo Ryabikin, as Ukraine’s new Ambassador to China.
On Feb. 24, China published a document outlining its position on the “settlement” of Russia’s war against Ukraine, including a call for a ceasefire and negotiations, but not a withdrawal of Russian troops.