Xi Jinping, Zelenskyy conversation may be brought on by Chinese ambassador's statement on sovereignty of post-Soviet republics

Diplomat and international expert Ruslan Osypenko shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

"This call was prompted by the events of the morning, when the Chinese ambassador made incorrect statements, which, in fact, caused a huge sharp reaction from European countries. They even said that they would revise the strategy of relations with China. In order to quell this information wave, a representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry spoke, but it did not work," the expert said.

According to him, Xi Jinping's phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took place because official Beijing realizes the benefits of such a step. 

"China will always play in its national interests. The phone conversation took place because it is beneficial for China, it maintains the face of an intermediary to the countries of the Global South. It could not help but contact Ukraine because it has actually sided with one of the countries at war," Osypenko said.

The diplomat noted that by ignoring the Ukrainian leader's invitation to talk, Beijing would have lost its position as a major country outside the conflict and seeking to resolve it. 

• Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a telephone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the Chinese leader said that a representative of the Chinese government would arrive in Ukraine. 

• On April 21, during a speech on a French TV channel, Lu Shaye questioned the sovereignty of the former Soviet republics.