Beijing must speak out against Russian invasion, says Zelensky

Ukrainian president’s comment comes as first grain ship from Odesa reaches Turkey

Russian president Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping meet in Beijing on 4 February, 2022 (via REUTERS)

China should oppose the Russian invasion rather than maintaining a neutral stance, Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

The Ukrainian president told an online event on Wednesday that he wanted Beijing to join the list of countries who have condemned Moscow’s aggression.

However, China’s close relationship with Russia makes this a distant possibility. And there has been speculation that Beijing may double down its position on the Ukraine war as payback for the controversial trip of US politician Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, a visit strongly criticised by China and Moscow.