Russia in Favor of China’s 12-Point Peace Plan to End Ukraine War

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that China has provided the most feasible peace plan so far for settling the Ukraine conflict. More than a year ago, Beijing presented a 12-point peace plan that outlined fundamental principles for ending the war but did not go into detail.

China received a lukewarm reaction in both Russia and Ukraine at the time, with the US accusing China of presenting itself as a peacemaker while reflecting Russia’s “false narrative” and neglecting to criticize its invasion.

“The most important thing for us is that the Chinese text is based on an examination of the reasons for what is occurring and the necessity to address these core causes.

Lavrov told Reuters reporters that it is logically constructed from general to specific.

“This plan was criticized for being unclear… But this is a sensible proposal that the ancient Chinese civilization submitted for consideration.”

Lavrov is scheduled to meet with his Chinese colleague soon, and President Vladimir Putin stated last month that he might consider visiting China for his first abroad trip of the next six-year term.

Russia says it is eager to engage in negotiations regarding Ukraine, but they must reflect what it terms the “new realities” on the ground, where its soldiers control just under a fifth of the country and Moscow claims four Ukrainian regions as its own.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has proposed his own peace plan, which asks for the halt of hostilities and Russia’s complete evacuation from all occupied territories.

Praising China’s idea allows Moscow to demonstrate that it is willing to talk about peace while criticizing Zelenskiy’s initiative, which Lavrov described as “a menu from which you can pull whatever you want”.

Switzerland has announced that it will host a meeting based on Zelenskiy’s proposal, but Russia has dismissed the idea as meaningless and claimed it will fail without Moscow’s involvement.

US Pulls Back from Ukraine

For the past two years, Ukraine has relied on American armaments to combat Russian invaders. It has attacked Russian positions with US artillery, destroyed tanks with Javelin missiles, and halted aerial attacks with Patriot missiles.

However, American backing has significantly fallen. House Republicans have banned more help to Ukraine, and the Biden administration cannot send much more arms. (The $300 million package announced this week is expected to benefit Ukraine for only a few weeks.)

Ukraine has already experienced the effects. Russia has made some gains in the past month after seizing the eastern city of Avdiivka, which was formerly a Ukrainian bastion. Intelligence sources warned Congress this week that Ukraine’s losses foreshadow what is to come from an under-supplied military effort.

According to the New York Times, the Biden administration, Ukraine retreated after running out of artillery ammunition. These weapons have played a significant part in the fight, with Ukraine using them to dissuade and weaken Russian attacks before engaging in close combat.

However, due to limited supplies, Ukraine’s authorities chose to sacrifice Avdiivka in order to save ammunition for more critical terrain, such as the Black Sea coastline and the country’s northeast. The disorderly retreat that followed made Ukrainian forces and civilians vulnerable.

Russia does not face the same situation. Despite Western sanctions, the economy is humming away. It manufactures weapons and supplies its troops. Its allies, particularly North Korea and Iran, have helped cover the gaps.

Ukraine’s European partners have not taken up the majority of the slack as American support has declined. European countries have committed to increase military expenditure to protect themselves and one another, but the process will take years. Ukraine might not have much longer.

The battle is currently at a standstill, despite Avdiivka. Ukraine most likely has enough supplies to withstand most Russian attacks for several weeks, if not months. Analysts previously doubted Ukraine’s ability to launch big offensives this year, even if it received further aid.

In the long run, America’s weakened backing will likely force Ukraine to cede additional territory. Russian forces presently control approximately 20% of Ukraine’s former land, and they want more.