Ukraine's peace plan only way to end war - Zelensky’s aide

That’s according to Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, who spoke with Reuters, Ukrinform reports.

Zhovkva says Ukraine is not interested in a ceasefire that would consolidate Russian territorial gains. Instead, Kyiv demands the implementation of its own peace plan, which provides for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from the Ukrainian territory.

He rejected peace initiatives that have come out in recent months from China, Brazil, the Vatican, and South Africa.

"There cannot be a Brazilian peace plan, a Chinese peace plan, a South African peace plan when you are talking about the war in Ukraine," Zhovkva said.

The official also stated that winning the support of the global South is now a priority for Ukraine. He emphasized that, despite his country's desire at the outset of the war to strengthen ties with Western partners, ensuring peace is an issue that concerns all nations.

He played down the prospects of calls for dialogue with Russia, expressed by Pope Francis, who also called Ukraine’s occupied territories a "political problem."

"In this period of open war, we don't need any mediators. It's too late for mediation," Zhovkva said.

He added that the G7 summit had an extremely positive reaction to Ukraine’s 10-point peace plan. "Not a single formula had any concerns from the (G7 - ed.) countries," Zhovkva emphasized.

Regarding the recent trips by China’s envoy to Moscow and Kyiv, Zhovkva noted that he had been briefed in detail about the situation on the battlefield and at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the attacks on Ukraine's power system, and deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, which constitutes a war crime.

"He listened very attentively. There was no immediate response … we will see. China is a wise country which understands its role in international affairs."

This month Zelensky made a serious attempt to rally support from the Global South, including Latin America, Africa, and most of Asia, in response to the peacemaking initiatives voiced by some of these countries. Zelensky attended the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia on May 19, where he held talks with Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, Iraqi officials, and other delegations.

On the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Zelensky met with the leaders of India and Indonesia, also major representatives of the Global South.

While Kyiv enjoys strong Western support in its fight against the Kremlin, it has not received the same backing from the Global South, where Russia has been invested its diplomatic energy for years.

Moscow strengthened ties with the states of this region during the war in Ukraine, in particular through the sale of energy to India and China.

In response to the Western embargo on seaborne Russian oil imports, Russia is routing its supplies from traditional European markets to Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Nairobi, hoping to conclude a trade agreement with Kenya, and has visited a number of African countries several times since Russia unleashed its war on Ukraine. A Russia-Africa summit is to be held in St. Petersburg this summer.