Explainer: Why Zelensky slammed the China-Brazil peace plan

A six-point peace plan jointly proposed by China and Brazil sparked a furious outburst from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week, who described it as “destructive.”
China and Brazil first put forward the plan in May, setting it up as an alternative to Ukraine’s own efforts of initiating peace negotiations and ending Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The timing of the proposal, not to mention China and Brazil’s friendly stances towards Russia, have called into question what their vision of peace would actually mean for Ukraine.
China officially declares itself a neutral party to Russia’s war against Ukraine and has denied providing lethal aid to either side.
However, the U.S. and other Western allies backing Kyiv claim that Beijing provides key resources for Russia’s war machine. And Beijing and Moscow continue to develop closer ties, with Russian President Vladimir Putin visiting his counterpart Xi Jinping in May.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has long tried to position himself as a mediator in the conflict and Brazil as a neutral party, and has repeatedly rejected arming Ukraine.
During a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in January 2023, Lula said that Russia made a mistake invading Ukraine but refused to condemn its war described by Ukrainian officials as genocidal in its aims.
Months later, Lula suggested that Ukraine should be open to the idea of giving up Crimea in exchange for peace with Russia.
The six-point plan, proposed by China and Brazil, refers to the war as a “crisis” and calls for:
It makes no mention of Ukraine’s territorial integrity or the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
China and Brazil proposed and prompted the plan in parallel to Ukraine’s ongoing peace efforts based on Zelensky’s 10-point peace formula.
Zelensky’s plan calls for a complete withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine, punishing those responsible for war crimes, and the release of all prisoners, among other goals.
A major part of the push for Ukraine’s plan was a global peace summit in Switzerland in June.
China did not attend the summit despite an invitation, while the Brazilian representative who was present did not sign the resulting communique.
In an interview with Brazilian outlet Metropoles published on Sept. 12, Zelensky was scathing about the six-point plan, describing it as “destructive.”
“You either support the war, or you don’t support the war. If you don’t support it, then help us stop Russia,” Zelensky said.
“(Should we) just give up our land, forget that they are killing our people?
“What is the compromise in that? That’s why I think it’s destructive. It’s just a political statement.”
Beijing has been trying to enlist developing nations to join its six-point peace plan, since China and Brazil laid it out in May.
Speaking on Aug. 2 during a trip to Brazil, Special Representative of the Government of the People’s Republic of China for Eurasian Affairs, Li Hui, claimed international support for it was growing, had gained the support of “more than 110 countries.”
He did not specify which countries had pledged their support, but in early June, China said the plan had only the support of 45 countries.