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Zelensky Presses EU and NATO to Grant Ukraine Membership; China Calls for Peace Talks

HeadlineJun 02, 2023

Ukraine’s president has made a fresh push for membership in the European Union and NATO. President Volodymyr Zelensky made the requests at a gathering of European leaders in Moldova, where he also called on Western nations to come to the aid of Moldova’s leaders, who have accused Russia of trying to destabilize and topple their government.

This comes as foreign ministers from NATO member nations gathered in Oslo, Norway, Thursday to discuss the war in Ukraine and the possible expansion of the 31-member military alliance. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he’s pushing for Sweden’s accession to NATO ahead of a summit in Lithuania planned for July 11. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he’ll soon travel to Turkey in a bid to convince President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to end Turkish opposition to Sweden’s bid.

Meanwhile, China’s envoy to Ukraine has called for the U.S. and its allies to “stop sending weapons to the battlefield” and hold peace talks. Li Hui made the remarks from Beijing after returning from a 12-day tour of Europe and Russia.

Li Hui: “Russia has said that it has never opposed peace talks and has always supported a political solution. Ukraine also said that it cherishes and desires peace. I feel that the two sides have not firmly shut the door to peace talks.”

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