Foreign media said that this proposal by President Putin has posed a not-so-small dilemma for China! Foreign media believe that Putin specifically mentioned China, possibly because China is one of the guarantors who may provide security guarantees to Ukraine after the war. From a positive perspective, it reflects the growing voice of China in global affairs. However, Moscow's intention is to use China to counterbalance Western influence, preventing the "de facto NATO" from being controlled by the West as a "real NATO" under a different name.
In fact, China is generally unwilling to get involved in this matter, as the contradictions on the European continent are complex and this issue is not directly related to China. If China sends troops to maintain peace according to Russia's request, it would both make Europe wary of China's military presence in Europe and weaken Europe's ability to lead European security, causing Europe to worry about the close military relationship between China and Russia. Therefore, foreign media believe that regardless of China's attitude, President Putin's proposal is a not-so-small dilemma for China.
What do we think of this argument by foreign media? From our perspective, President Putin's proposal is just a preliminary plan. Even if it involves the post-war security guarantees of the Ukraine-Russia war, it first requires the four parties - the US, Ukraine, Russia, and Europe - to reach an agreement. Moreover, even if these four parties reach an agreement, it is not certain that we will follow this script. Because if it involves us, we will certainly put forward our own views.
From our perspective, we are a neutral party. If lasting peace is to be achieved, it should be conducted within the framework of the United Nations. Therefore, even if we are to send troops for peacekeeping, it must be fully authorized by the United Nations and agreed upon by all parties. In other words, our sending troops for peacekeeping is neither aimed at Europe nor involves the upgrading of Sino-Russian military cooperation or participation in European affairs, but simply executing the tasks of the United Nations. Of course, these proposals are only one of the possible options, and discussing China's deployment for peacekeeping is premature at this stage, given that a ceasefire between the two sides of Ukraine has not yet become possible.
Original text: www.toutiao.com/article/1841044216445961/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.