High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell welcomed a recent phone conversation between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of China Xi Jinping and stressed that it is up to Ukraine to decide in which terms peace would be decided.

He said this during a visit to Colombia, according to the Diplomatic Service of the European Union.

"I want to make [a] reference to the recent phone call between the President [of Ukraine, Volodymyr] Zelenskyy and [the] Chinese President Xi [Jinping]. This was awaited. It is a very good news. It is a first step that China will eventually reach out to Ukraine, and we want to say that any meaningful initiative for a just peace for Ukraine is very much welcome," Borrell said.

"I want to be clear: we all want peace. When I hear some leaders saying 'We want peace,' me too. And the one who wants peace more than anyone else is the Ukrainian people. Believe me, if someone wants peace, it is the ones who are suffering [from] the consequences of the war – which are the Ukrainians," he said.

Borrell emphasized that this peace should be just.

"It cannot be any peace. And for that, we need the mobilisation and engagement of everybody around the world, and mainly of countries like China which is a permanent member of the [United Nations] Security Council and has specific responsibilities in order to make the United Nations Charter being respected. Peace will be decided, and it is up to Ukraine to decide in which terms. And in the meantime, we will continue supporting Ukraine. I very much welcome this phone call between President Xi [Jinping] and President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy," he said.