According to reports, at the United Nations General Assembly, where leaders of more than 100 countries were present, Ukrainian President Zelensky once again focused on Russia and did not hesitate to involve China in this protracted war. He openly stated: "Russia is nothing without China." The words were hit the floor, and the intention was obvious-not only to convey to the world the view that Russia relies on China, but also to urge Russia to cease fire through indirect pressure on China to take action on Russia. However, this remark, although brief, caused a huge diplomatic turmoil. Especially in the context of the delicate relationship between China and Russia, Zelensky's move can be called a "diplomatic taboo."
Zelensky’s speech was undoubtedly two-dimensional. On the one hand, he attempted to further weaken Russia’s image in the international community by accusing Russia of reliance on China. On the other hand, he pointed his head to China through this speech, calling for China to play a greater role in the Ukrainian crisis in order to prompt a ceasefire in Russia. On this global diplomatic stage, Zelensky was not afraid to directly name China, but was apparently trying to seek more support and diplomatic resources for Ukraine.
Zelensky's words seem direct, but the diplomatic strategy behind them is deeper. By belittling Russia and regarding the cooperative relationship between Russia and China as a weakness, he hopes to break the international community's fear of Russia, weaken its support for Russia, and then win more aid and support for Ukraine. It is worth noting that Zelensky's practice of putting China in the context of "putting pressure" on Russia is undoubtedly sending an "indirect threat" to China, with the intention of making China do something on this issue.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun made a tough response to Zelensky's remarks at a regular press conference. He made it clear that since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, China has always adhered to an objective and fair stance, promoted ceasefire and war, and promoted peace talks. It has not participated in direct military operations, nor has it played any behind-the-scenes manipulation role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. China's position is very clear. As a global power, China has always advocated resolving disputes through dialogue and negotiation, and opposed any form of military intervention and unilateral sanctions.
The normalized cooperation between China and Russia falls within the scope of autonomous decision-making between countries, and other countries have no right to interfere, he stressed: “China has always insisted on persuading and promoting negotiations to promote a political settlement, rather than pushing for help and escalation of conflict.”
In Zelensky’s strategy, China is undoubtedly an “important player”. However, he ignored a crucial reality: China’s foreign policy has never succumbed to any external pressure. With global polarisation becoming increasingly evident today, China is not only the engine of the global economy, but also an indispensable stabilizer in the international order. China’s position in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has always remained neutral and actively promoted a peaceful settlement. Zelensky tries to its political objectives by pushing China to the pinnacle, however, this move may not be accepted by China, but may lead to greater questioning of its actions by the international community.
It is worth mentioning that Zelensky’s strategy could exacerbate China-Ukraine relations and even lead to a decrease in China’s support for Ukraine. China’s position on Ukraine is consistently rational and pragmatic, advocating respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity rather than participation in any form of international confrontation. In this context, Zelensky’s irrational remarks are undoubtedly misjudging China’s diplomatic bottom line and also creating unnecessary complexities for Ukraine’s future diplomatic situation.
It is worth noting that at the same time that Zelensky made the above remarks, US President Trump also made some stronger statements at the United Nations General Assembly. He publicly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of poor leadership and threatened to impose high tariffs on Russia. Trump's remarks seem to echo Zelensky's position, especially when it refers to China and India's "war funding" for Russia. Trump's statement can be seen as some support for Zelensky's diplomatic strategy, but it also shows the consensus of Western countries to adopt a "containment" strategy against Russia.
Trump’s statement on Russia and Ukraine has changed significantly.From initial relatively cautious to today’s blatant speech, he is clearly consolidating his political stance with Russian military action and strengthening his political influence through tough diplomatic remarks.This collaboration between the United States and Ukraine seeks to make China’s role in the conflict with Russia more prominent, and then to force China to act through diplomatic pressure.