China's special envoy arrives in Ukraine to discuss peace plan with Zelenskyy

China's special envoy visits Ukraine to discuss peace plan with Zelensky - media reports

According to media reports, Li Hui has already met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and is now preparing to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Li Hui, China's special representative for Eurasian affairs, arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday, May 17, to discuss Beijing's "peace plan" with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which aims to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This information, based on its own sources in the Presidential Office of Ukraine, was provided by the media resource Strana.

The purpose of the visit is to discuss the possibility of peace talks to end the war.

According to media reports, the diplomat has already met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. The diplomat is also scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The first information that Li Hui would visit Ukraine appeared on May 12. At that time, it was assumed that the diplomat would also visit France, Germany, and Russia to discuss the management of the Ukrainian crisis with all stakeholders.

"The visit of Chinese representatives to the respective countries is another indication of China's intention to encourage and assist in negotiations, clearly showing that China is unwavering in its defense of peace," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin commented on the visit of the special representative to Ukraine.

Li Hui previously served as China's ambassador to Moscow. His appointment as China's special envoy was agreed upon by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Chinese President Xi Jinping during a telephone conversation.

As a reminder, on May 17, the Presidential Office confirmed the visit of the President of South Africa to Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa agreed to meet in the capital of Ukraine during a telephone conversation on May 13, the Ukrainian leader's spokesman said.

In late April, the media also noted that China had sent a former Russian ambassador to Ukraine who had received awards from Putin. In 2019, China's special representative was awarded a state award by the Russian president. According to open sources, Li Hui has worked in Russia and the Soviet Union for many years.