(Bloomberg) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy took sharper aim at China’s efforts to influence the war with Russia, accusing Beijing of pushing a flawed peace plan while simultaneously helping Moscow target nuclear infrastructure.
Zelenskiy, in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly, has focused on pushing his “victory plan” to force President Vladimir Putin into peace talks, as well as bolstering his country’s power sector, which has been under intense assault by Russia as winter nears.
He said China is complicating both issues.
In his speech to the General Assembly Wednesday, he singled out China and Brazil’s peace proposals that clash with his own path to end the war, which envisages a full Russian withdrawal among other demands including food and nuclear security.
“If someone in the world seeks alternatives to any of these points or tries to ignore any of them, it likely means they themselves want to do a part of what Putin is doing,” Zelenskiy said.
He also said his country’s intelligence services report Russia is receiving images and detailed information on the infrastructure of the country’s nuclear plants from a third country’s satellites.
“Now Putin does seem to be planning attacks on our nuclear power plants and their infrastructure, aiming to disconnect the plants from the power grid,” Zelenskiy said.
While he didn’t name China in his speech as supplying the satellite information, he told ABC in an interview Tuesday that Russia utilizes Chinese satellite photographs of Ukraine’s nuclear plants ahead of possible strikes. The US also warned earlier this year that China is providing Moscow with geospatial intelligence to support its war effort.
Russia has increased its missile and drone attacks against Ukraine’s power systems, causing regular blackouts and stirring unease ahead of winter as Putin’s forces push from the east.
A top priority for Zelenskiy while in the US is to drum up support for the “victory plan,” which he said will provide enough security and economic guarantees from allies that it will force Russia into peace talks.
However, officials briefed on the plan in New York say it’s unlikely to be a game-changer. He’s expected to present the plan, which is said to include requests for a pathway for NATO membership and advanced weapons guarantees, to President Joe Biden in Washington later this week.
--With assistance from Daryna Krasnolutska.
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