President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Ukrainian diplomats to work more actively on developing relations with China, to prevent Beijing from fully backing Russia.
"We need to seek dialogue with China, if we don’t want China to fully support the Russians. If it’s thinking about a future with Russia and doesn’t see other countries in that picture, all of this needs to be built," Zelenskyy said at a meeting with ambassadors in Kyiv on Monday.
Ukraine has already achieved positive results in developing relations with a number of countries, including the Philippines, but this work must continue, the president said.
"We need to restore all of this, we need to keep working on all of it," he said.
Zelenskyy also instructed diplomats to pay special attention to Syria, noting that the country is going through a period of transformation following its change of regime. Ukraine was among the first states to support the new Syrian authorities, he said, and must strengthen cooperation with Damascus.
The president also said Ukraine needs a strong presence in every Latin American country, and added that he expects the Foreign Ministry, together with the Presidential Office team, to present a new strategy for Ukraine’s relations with African countries as well.
