The Presidential Office hosted a briefing chaired by Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak on the security situation in Ukraine and other topical issues for the delegation of the People's Republic of China headed by Li Hui, Special Representative of the Chinese Government for Eurasian Affairs.
Li Hui is visiting our country for the second time since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. The trip is made pursuant to previous bilateral agreements reached during a phone call between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping on April 26, 2023.
On the Ukrainian side, the briefing was attended by Deputy Heads of the Presidential Office Roman Mashovets, Andriy Sybiha, Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Minister of Energy Svitlana Hrynchuk, representatives of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ambassador of Ukraine to China Pavlo Riabikin, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets, and advisors to the Head of the Presidential Office Dariia Zarivna and Vladyslav Vlasiuk.
"We value our partnership with China and hope that today's talks will be another step towards deepening and strengthening our relations," said Andriy Yermak, welcoming the guests to Kyiv.
"It is very important that you hear firsthand about the situation on the frontline, what is happening and where we are," he added.
As part of the regular dialogue, the Chinese delegation was briefed on the situation on the battlefield, the functioning of the "grain corridor," the return of prisoners of war, the protection of the rights of civilian hostages, and the return of Ukrainian children deported by Russia.
The Chinese delegation was shown samples of the wreckage of a downed North Korean missile and other elements of the weapons that were transferred to Russia and used by it to attack Ukraine.
Vladyslav Vlasiuk said that Russia uses components from third countries to produce weapons, including Shahed UAVs, reconnaissance drones, missiles, optical devices, navigation systems, and aircraft parts.
For his part, Roman Mashovets emphasized that these components are becoming part of the weapons used against Ukrainian civilians.
Svitlana Hrynchuk informed the Chinese delegation in detail about the situation with nuclear and radiation safety in the context of war, in particular about the situation at the occupied ZNPP. She emphasized the threats posed by the occupation of the nuclear power plant, the lack of qualified personnel and the need to replace the fuel in the near future. The Deputy Minister of Energy stated: Russia does not have certified specialists to do this.
The cases of Russia's gross violation of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War were highlighted during the meeting. The Chinese side was also informed of Ukraine's efforts to return Ukrainian citizens illegally detained by the Russian Federation and abducted children.
"Ukraine is constantly looking for new approaches to returning citizens illegally detained by Russia. It is also looking for new partners who can potentially speed up the process of returning Ukrainian prisoners of war, civilian hostages and children," said Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights.
In addition, Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak, First Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba had meetings with Special Representative of the Chinese Government Li Hui.
During the meetings, the parties discussed the prospects for establishing a just peace for Ukraine, restoring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our country on the basis of the Ukrainian Peace Formula.
They also discussed the possibility of China's assistance in putting an end to the forced deportation of Ukrainian children, in the exchange of prisoners, demilitarization and de-occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, guaranteeing nuclear security and other international initiatives of our country.
Andriy Yermak spoke about the measures taken to implement the Peace Formula and preparations for the first Global Peace Summit to be held in Switzerland. The Head of the President's Office emphasized the importance of the widest possible support for the Ukrainian Peace Formula by all countries of the world.