Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly speaks to reporters on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. Joly says China’s attempts to broker peace in Ukraine will likely only help Russia re-arm and prolong the conflict. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
OTTAWA – Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says China’s attempts to broker peace in Ukraine will likely just help Russia re-arm and prolong the conflict.
Joly says in a statement today that the only way to end the war it for Russian President Vladimir Putin to “lay down his weapons and get out of Ukraine.”
She says any ceasefire must include Moscow withdrawing troops from Ukrainian territory, otherwise it will only freeze the conflict and lead to more Russians killed in combat.
She accuses Russia of “looking to buy time to resupply, recruit and re-attack.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Russia, arriving today for peace talks after Beijing laid out a proposal that calls for an end to the conflict, although Xi has no plans to visit Kyiv.
Canada and the other countries in the G7 have said since last October that they will support Ukraine “for as long as it takes” with humanitarian and military aid.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 20, 2023.
