Zelenskyy trying to enlist Chinese help in ending war with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tries to get out of the impasse he has been in since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war in February of last year, against the background of Russian fears from Ukraine's accession to NATO.

The war has so far caused the destruction of infrastructure in many Ukrainian cities. It also caused large swaths of Ukraine to fall under Russian control.

Zelenskyy now looks for a new mediator that can solve the crisis.

China as an intermediary

The Ukrainian president has apparently found his way in China which seeks to play the role of an international fire-fighter.

Beijing was instrumental in settling conflicts between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Zelenskyy hopes China will play the mediator that puts an end to his country's war with Russia, in a way that makes Ukraine circumvent further losses.

This also comes at a time China's relations with Russia keep improving.

President Zelenskyy had recently held talks on the phone with Chinese President Xi Jingping who informed him that his country is in the process of sending its envoys and holding talks with all parties to resolve the crisis.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said, meanwhile, that Beijing is trying to pave the way for a negotiation process with Kyiv.

Nonetheless, it added that Ukraine continues to reject what it called 'reasonable initiatives' aimed at resolving the crisis by diplomatic means.

Zelenskyy losing confidence

Political science professor, Hesham Bashir, said the Ukrainian president has lost a lot of his trust in Western countries.

These Western countries, he said, had caused Ukraine to be caught in the war with Russia.

"They brought him into a difficult battle," Bashir told The Reference in an interview.

 "So he is well aware of the importance of resorting to the negotiating table under a Chinese umbrella, especially with the imminent elections in areas annexed by Russia to its territory," he added.