Ukraine invites China's Xi to 'peace summit' - Zelenskiy's top adviser

Ukraine has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to participate in a planned "peace summit" of world leaders in Switzerland, a top diplomatic adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, as Russia's invasion approaches its second anniversary.

China has close ties with Russia and has refrained from criticising its invasion of Ukraine but has also said the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected and has offered to help mediate in the conflict.

"We are definitely inviting China to participate in the summit, at the highest level, at the level of the President of the People's Republic of China," the adviser, Ihor Zhovkva, told Reuters in an interview this week.

"China's participation will be very important to us. We are working with the Chinese side. We involve our partners in the world so that they convey to the Chinese side how important it is to participate in such a summit."

China's Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a "no limits" partnership in Beijing just three weeks before Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Since then, China has dramatically increased its Russian energy imports.

Putin says the invasion was necessary to protect Russia's own security, while Kyiv and the West say it is an unprovoked war of aggression and a land grab.

Neutral Switzerland agreed to host the Ukraine peace summit on Ukraine at Zelenskiy's request but no date or venue has yet been set. Zhovkva said teams were still working on the details.