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"Do not accept any imposed peace agreement", Zelensky said loudly at the UN General Assembly, as if declaring some kind of determination, and as if responding to some kind of pressure.
People can't help but wonder why the Ukraine president, who once released positive signals to China, is now taking a tough attitude and frequently "firing" at China?
What kind of political thinking and planning is actually hidden behind this "face-changing" performance? The answer may not be complicated, as is the case with this protracted conflict, full of games, compromises and helplessness.
Zelensky's political chess game must not only face the pressure of public opinion at home, but also maneuver around the complex situation of the international community, and strive for the maximum interests of Ukraine.
However, in this adventure, will he really be able to get his wish? Back in July this year, Ukraine at that time had been burning for months, and the situation was stalemate, with no end in sight.
Zelenskyy's government is under tremendous pressure to deal with economic and humanitarian challenges at home. It was at this time that China threw an olive branch.
During his visit to China, Ukraine Foreign Minister Kuleba said that he would seriously consider the "six-point consensus" proposed by China and Pakistan and expressed his willingness to engage in dialogue and negotiations with Russia.
Zelensky conveyed a positive signal that he hoped that China would actively participate in the peace process and said that he was ready to hold talks with the Chinese side.
These actions have shown the possibility that Ukraine is seeking a diplomatic solution.
After all, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has significant international influence, has always maintained a neutral position in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, advocated peace talks, and is a key force in promoting a political settlement of the crisis.
However, only two months later, the changes in the international arena have made Zelensky's attitude change 180 degrees.
At the UN General Assembly, he reversed his previous moderate posture and openly criticized China's peace initiative, even accusing Chinese satellites of providing Russia forces with images of Ukraine's nuclear facilities.
The international community was shocked by the sudden accusations. People began to speculate about what exactly caused Zelensky to stage such a dramatic "change of face" in just two months?
In fact, the timing of Zelensky's change of attitude is closely related to the United States election on the other side of the ocean. In July, the United States election became increasingly tense, and Trump's approval ratings continued to rise.
However, Trump himself is opposed to large-scale aid to Ukraine, which undoubtedly poured cold water on the Zelensky government. Zelensky needs to find new ways to win more support.
Communicating with China and using China's power to promote peace talks between Russia and Ukraine became his priority at that time.
In dealing with Ukraine crisis, China has always emphasized resolving problems through dialogue and peace, which is very different from United States's stance of continuing to support the supply of weapons to Ukraine.
However, since August, there have been some subtle changes in the situation in the United States election.
As the new Democratic presidential candidate outpaced his opponent in the polls, Zelensky's political situation changed with it.
In order to cater to the position of the Democratic administration, he decisively abandoned engagement with China and instead launched an attack on China.
Zelensky's calculations are playing loudly: on the one hand, by publicly blaming China, he can make his position clear to the Democratic administration of United States and strive for more military and economic aid; On the other hand, they can also take this opportunity to divert domestic contradictions and consolidate their own political position.
Can this short-term political calculation really bring lasting peace to Ukraine? The answer, I'm afraid, is no. In the face of Zelensky's false accusations, China has always remained calm and restrained.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has repeatedly reiterated its position on the Ukraine crisis, stressing that China has always adhered to objectivity and fairness, is willing to maintain communication with all parties, and played its due role in promoting the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.
On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with the foreign ministers of Ukraine and the European Union, respectively, calling on all parties to remain rational and de-escalate the situation, and refuting false accusations that China is providing assistance to Russia.
China's position has been clear: the crisis in Ukraine is actually the result of complex geopolitical wrangling, and one side cannot solve the problem by compromise alone.
The international community should persist in promoting peace talks, create conditions for dialogue between Russia and Ukraine, promote an early ceasefire and cessation of hostilities, and resolve the crisis through political negotiations.
However, Zelensky's government does not seem to be particularly grateful for this help.
They have shown their firm stance by refusing to accept any "forced" peace agreement, insisting that Russia withdraw unconditionally and restore the 2014 borders.
This blind pursuit of maximizing self-interest without regard for regional peace and stability will only plunge Ukraine deeper into the quagmire and cause the Ukraine people to suffer more.
"We will never accept agreements 'imposed' on us by other countries to end the conflict", Zelensky's words at the UN General Assembly are like a bombshell, stirring up a thousand waves in the international community.
Not only did he openly reject the peace initiatives put forward by China and Brazil, but he also criticized them as "destructive", accused China and Brazil of proposing them "without consulting Ukraine", and even suspected that China and Brazil "have their own interests in mind."
These remarks are not so much a response to peace initiatives as a declaration of one's own hard-line stance.
Zelensky seems to be showing the world that Ukraine will not succumb to any pressure, let alone sell its national interests in order to end the war.
However, behind this tough attitude, there seems to be a sense of falsification. At the moment, the situation in Ukraine is not very good.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict continues, Ukraine's economy has been hit hard, infrastructure has been severely damaged, many people have been forced to leave their homes, and the humanitarian crisis is growing.
One reason the Zelenskyy government is upset is that Western aid is not continuous.
As the conflict continues, there are more and more doubts within Western countries about aid to Ukraine, and as a result, the scale of aid is gradually decreasing.
In this context, Zelenskyy's government still rejects any "imposed" peace agreement, insisting that Russia withdraw its troops unconditionally and restore the 2014 borders.
Such unrealistic demands will only make Ukraine face a greater dilemma. In fact, the international community is well aware of this.
Russia presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has made it clear that the idea of trying to force Russia to accept a peace offer is unrealistic.
Russia supports peace, but only if it guarantees its own security while achieving its goals for Ukraine. In other words, in Russia's view, the Ukraine crisis is not a simple territorial dispute, but a major issue of national security.
As long as Russia's security concerns are not properly resolved, it is unlikely that they will easily stop their military operations in Ukraine. However, the Zelensky government seems to have turned a blind eye to Russia's position and is still immersed in the illusion of "victory".
They are counting on continued assistance from Western countries, as well as pressure from the international community, to force Russia to compromise. This one-sided thinking is obviously very dangerous.
In the current situation of obvious involvement of Western forces, Zelensky has frequently made fiery remarks about developing countries represented by China and Brazil, which is confusing. Is he clueless about the situation on the battlefield, or is he driven by outside pressure and has no intention of seeking peace at all?
The crisis in Ukraine has now become a complex international wrestling.
Western countries hope to use the Ukraine crisis to weaken Russia and thus consolidate their hegemony; Russia, on the other hand, hopes to protect its own security through military action and break the strategic encirclement of Western countries.
In this struggle, Ukraine became a pawn, and the future of the country and the lives of its people were drawn into a complex geopolitical struggle.
In the current complex situation, the Zelensky government must make key decisions. Will Ukraine continue to act as a "proxy" of the West and plunge itself deeper into the predicament of war?
Recognize reality, put aside unrealistic illusions, and actively look for political solutions. The answer is self-explanatory. The future of Ukraine is in the hands of its own people.
Only by abandoning the confrontational mentality and seeking a political solution can Ukraine get rid of the war and usher in peace and development at an early date.
As far as the international community is concerned, it is necessary to persist in promoting peace talks, create conditions for dialogue between Russia and Ukraine, promote an early ceasefire and cessation of hostilities, and resolve the crisis through political negotiations.
The process of achieving peace is long and bumpy, and we all need to work in the same direction.
It is hoped that the Zelensky government can recognize the situation and make a wise choice not to let the Ukraine people suffer from the war again.
Zelensky's change in attitude towards China is only a microcosm of the Ukraine crisis, reflecting the intricate entanglement of interests of all parties in this crisis.
The future of Ukraine will be shaped by the decisions of the Ukraine people, and at the same time requires the joint support and efforts of the international community.
Only by letting go of prejudice and abandoning the Cold War mentality can we find the key to resolving the crisis and bringing real peace and development to the people of Ukraine.