KYIV/BEIJING: Ukraine’s top diplomat will visit China on Tuesday at the invitation of Beijing for talks that Kyiv said would focus on how to end Russia’s war in Ukraine and on a possible Chinese role in reaching a settlement.
Nearly 29 months since Russia’s full-scale invasion, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will discuss bilateral ties at talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a trip to China from July 23 to 25, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said.
“The main topic of discussion will be the search for ways to stop Russia’s aggression and China’s possible role in achieving a stable and just peace,” the Ukrainian ministry said in a statement on its website.
The Chinese statement said Kuleba’s visit would run from July 23 to 26 and provided less detail.
The trip is unusual as China is widely seen as close to the Kremlin, with which Beijing declared a “no limits” partnership in 2022 just days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Though the world’s second largest economy has not condemned the Russian invasion and helped keep Russia’s war economy afloat, Kyiv has been cautious in its criticism of Beijing.
China meanwhile says its ties with Russia are built on the basis of non-alliance and do not target any third party.
Various peace initiatives have emerged in recent months as the fighting has dragged on ahead of a US election in November that could see the return to power of ex-president Donald Trump who has threatened to cut vital aid flows to Ukraine.
Kyiv held an international summit without Russian representation in Switzerland in June to promote its vision of peace and now says it hopes to be ready to hold another one in November that would feature Russian representation.
China, which did not attend the Swiss summit, together with Brazil published a separate six-point peace plan on May 23, saying they supported an international peace conference being held that would be recognized by both sides in the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that only the world’s powerful countries would be able to successfully bring an end to the war, singling out China as well as Kyiv’s close US ally as two possibilities.
The Ukrainian leader has said that China should play a serious role in helping to resolve the war.
Ukraine’s top diplomat to visit China this week to talk peace, Kyiv says
https://arab.news/v46kr
Ukraine’s top diplomat to visit China this week to talk peace, Kyiv says
- Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will discuss bilateral ties at talks with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during a trip from July 23 to 25
- The trip is unusual as China is widely seen as close to the Kremlin
Canadian police investigate reports of gunfire at US consulate in Toronto
- Police said they were at the scene near University Avenue and Queen Street West
- “Evidence of a firearm discharge has been located,” police said in the post
TORONTO: Canadian police are investigating reports that the United States consulate in downtown Toronto was hit by gunfire early on Tuesday morning.
No injuries have been reported.
Toronto police said Tuesday they responded to reports at around 5:30 a.m. that someone shot a gun at the US consulate.
In a post on social media, police said they were at the scene near University Avenue and Queen Street West.
“Evidence of a firearm discharge has been located,” police said in the post.
No suspect information has been released.
“The shooting that took place at the US consulate early this morning is an absolutely unacceptable act of violence and intimidation aimed at our American friends and neighbors,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in a statement.
“Everyone at all levels of government and across Canada needs to make clear that there is zero tolerance for this sort of intimidating and dangerous behavior.”
The reported shooting comes after two Toronto-area synagogues were struck by gunfire last weekend.
“The US consulate was shot at. This comes after shootings at synagogues,” Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said. “This cannot stand. Toronto’s Jewish community has the right to practice their faith and culture and to live their day-to-day lives without fear, intimidation or violence. As we have seen too many times, antisemitic incidents spike when international incidents rise. It is never acceptable to target the Jewish community.”
Chow said there is heavy police presence on Tuesday at both the US and Israeli consulates in Toronto.
The war in Iran has prompted large demonstrations outside the US consulate, both in support and in protest.
