Key Points
- The Kremlin said the conditions for a peaceful resolution of the conflict were not in place "at the moment".
- Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is convinced that only his country can initiate "any peace initiatives".
- US says war could end tomorrow if Russia stopped attacking Ukraine and withdrew its forces.
The Kremlin on Monday acknowledged China's proposal for a political solution in Ukraine but said the conditions for a peaceful resolution of the conflict were not in place "at the moment".
"We paid a lot of attention to our Chinese friends' plan," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, adding that: "for now, we don't see any of the conditions that are needed to bring this whole story towards peace."
China has sought to position itself as a neutral party in the conflict while maintaining close ties with strategic ally Russia.
Beijing last week called for peace talks as it released a 12-point paper to end the war in Ukraine, which included the respect of all countries' territorial sovereignty.
The Russian foreign ministry on Friday thanked Chinese efforts but said that any settlement of the conflict needed to recognise Russia's control over four Ukrainian regions.
Russia claims to have annexed the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson but never fully controlled them.
The Ukrainian perspective
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country needed to work with China, arguing "it seems to me that there is respect for our territorial integrity, security issues" in the Chinese perspective.
Mr Zelenskyy also said he was convinced that only a country whose territory is under attack can initiate "any peace initiatives."
The publication of the proposal follows accusations from the West that China is considering arming Russia, a claim Beijing has dismissed as false.
Ukraine's leader has given qualified support for China's new pronouncements about the war in his country, saying Chinese interest is "not bad".
"China has shown its thoughts. I believe that the fact that China started talking about Ukraine is not bad," President Volodymyr Mr Zelenskyy said at a news conference on the first anniversary of the Russian invasion on Friday.
"But the question is what follows the words. The question is in the steps and where they will lead to."
Mr Zelenskyy said there were points in the Chinese proposals that he agreed with "and there are those that we don't".
"But it's something," he added.
He added that he planned to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping but did not say when such a meeting might take place.
"I plan to meet Xi Jinping and believe this will be beneficial for our countries and for security in the world," Mr Zelenskyy said.
'Neutral stance'
China claims to have a neutral stance in the war that began one year ago but has also said it has a "no limits friendship" with Russia and has refused to criticise Russia's invasion of Ukraine or even refer to it as an invasion.
It has accused the United States and its allies of provoking the conflict and "fanning the flames" by providing Ukraine with arms.
Still, Mr Zelenskyy suggested that China's help could be useful in trying to isolate Russia.
"Our task is to gather everyone to isolate the one," he said.
The plan released by China's foreign ministry mainly reiterated long-held positions and analysts said China would be an unlikely broker.
Ukraine's allies express scepticism
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on CNN that his first reaction to the proposal was that "it could stop at point one, which is: Respect the sovereignty of all nations."
He added: "This war could end tomorrow if Russia stopped attacking Ukraine and withdrew its forces... This was a war of choice".
