Effects of a previous Russian missile attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine (Associated Press)
The Russian army launched missile strikes on targets in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Friday morning, while a Chinese official confirmed that Moscow and Kiev believe that the way to end the Russian-Ukrainian war is through negotiation.
Reuters reported that Ihor Terekhov, mayor of Kharkiv - which is the third largest city in the country - heard about 15 explosions this morning, noting that Russian missile strikes targeted the city's electricity supply, causing a partial power outage.
For his part, Li Hui, China's special envoy for Eurasian affairs, confirmed on Friday that Russia and Ukraine believe that the way out of their crisis will be by sitting at the negotiating table, despite each of them entrenched behind its positions and the existence of major differences between them regarding peace talks.
The Chinese envoy said that Russia expressed its appreciation for China's efforts in its recent diplomatic tour to Europe, and Ukraine also considered Beijing's efforts important.
Despite the difference in views between the two sides of the conflict regarding peace talks, the Chinese envoy said, "They all still believe that this crisis will eventually be resolved by those means."
In a statement he made during a press conference about his recent diplomatic tour that included Russia, Ukraine, Germany, France, and Poland this month, the envoy said, “Everyone agrees that the war will ultimately end through negotiations, not guns.”
He added that China wants to hold an international peace conference that both Russia and Ukraine recognize and participate in.
The Chinese envoy said that Beijing will put forward proposals to facilitate reaching a ceasefire, the aim of which is to ensure the success of a peace conference aimed at ending the war.
Switzerland intends to host a peace conference this year, which Russia says will be doomed to failure if it does not participate.
Source: Reuters