China is set to skip a meeting of national security advisers in Malta this weekend, where officials from more than 55 countries will discuss Volodymyr Zelensky’s so-called peace formula, according to Bloomberg.
China’s absence will be a disappointment for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as engaging Beijing is seen as crucial to efforts to establish a lasting and just peace, since China is believed to have some influence over Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Malta meeting will be the third after similar summits in Denmark in June and Saudi Arabia in August, where China sent a delegate.
Zelensky’s ten-point formula includes the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, the return of prisoners of war, as well as food and nuclear security.
Kyiv’s allies consider such meetings as an opportunity for Ukraine to express its position to countries that have largely remained neutral on Russia’s war in Ukraine. The participation of countries from the Global South is seen as crucial to the summit.
Despite the low response among countries to the working groups on the main themes of the formula, continued engagement with sceptical countries is fundamental and useful, even if progress is slow, some officials state.
