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The lack of a meeting between Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at this weeks events in Davos represents a snub by the Asian nation and a further sign that China has sided firmly with Russia in the war, Politico wrote.
China was absent from a meeting of national security advisers and other political operatives to discuss the possibilities of peace in Ukraine at the outset of the conference on Sunday and passed up several other opportunities to meet with the Ukrainian delegation by the time Zelensky returned home late in the week.
"China’s decision not to meet with Ukrainians appeared intentional and not the result of a scheduling problem," the newspaper wrote. "One senior U.S. official said Beijing rejected Kyiv’s request for a meeting at some point during their mutual Swiss visits.
"Another senior U.S. official said China has refused any gatherings after Russia urged it to cease diplomatic encounters with Ukraine."
A European Union official told Politico that the bloc had urged China to meet with Zelensky, although a Ukrainian official had said no official invite has been sent.
