Czech President Petr Pavel has indicated that China cannot be a reliable mediator in Russia-Ukraine negotiations because it gains too much from prolonged hostilities, writes Politico.
Pavel’s remarks follow repeated assurances from China that it is willing to mediate peace talks. Most Western countries are skeptical of China’s statements, but some countries, such as France, insist that China be given an important role in the peace talks.
The opinion of former NATO general Pavel is unequivocal: when it comes to Ukraine, China only wants what is beneficial to it, and right now that means a longer war.
Beijing can get cheap oil, gas, and other resources from Moscow
in exchange for China’s “unlimited cooperation”. In addition, China benefits from the fact that the West loses some of its power by helping Ukraine.
Pavel’s words now seem prophetic, as only a few hours after his interview with Politico, the Chinese ambassador to France sparked criticism by declaring that the former republics of the USSR do not have a valid status in the context of international law.
The incident has sparked a tense debate over whether China can bring peace to Ukraine. Pavel said: “I don’t think that China has a real interest to resolve the war in a short time.
China is taking lessons from the conflict every day. They closely follow what Russia is doing, and how the West is reacting. “
While NATO countries are debating the goal of allocating 2 percent of each country’s GDP to defense, Pavel’s opinion is harsh – attention should be paid to what the army can do, not to the amount of money spent. Allies should pay more attention to strengthening military capabilities and building well-prepared personnel. In addition, it is necessary that civilians also clearly understand what is being done and why.
Pavel also did not hide his concern about the growing populism and Russian influence in the neighboring countries. He pointed to the possibility that populists may win the Slovak elections this year, which will create a difficult situation not only for Slovakia but also for its neighbors and partners. The Czech president was even more direct when talking about Hungary, and indicated that there was cause for fear when looking at the current pro-Russian trend in its government.
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