MOSCOW, April 18. /TASS/. Russia respects China's desire to promote a fair settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.

Commenting on the four principles proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping to settle the crisis in Ukraine, she said: "The initiative voiced by Chinese President Xi Jinping is in line with the document formulated by Beijing on China's position on the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. Let me remind you: it was presented on February 24, 2023, and we highly appreciate the approaches outlined in it, formulated by our Chinese friends, and, of course, we respect their sincere desire to promote a fair and sustainable settlement."

According to the diplomat, the provisions of the Chinese plan "are in line with the Russian vision and are worthy of becoming the basis for the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis." "And we are grateful to our Chinese partners for their deep understanding of the root causes of the whole situation and for firmly defending the position that any discussions on the settlement of the situation are futile without Russia's participation, taking into account our interests, especially in the security sphere," Zakharova emphasized.