Ukraine’s top diplomat told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during talks in China on Wednesday that Ukraine is open to talks with Russia if Moscow is willing to do so in good faith, which Kyiv does not see at present.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is the highest-ranking Ukrainian official to visit China since the military conflict began in February 2022 and held talks with Wang Yi for more than three hours, a Ukrainian source in the delegation said. Its ministry said:
“Kuleba restated .. that (Kyiv) is ready to engage the Russian side in the negotiation process at a certain stage, when Russia is ready to negotiate in good faith, but emphasised that no such readiness is currently observed on the Russian side.”
Kuleba also said Kyiv supports China’s position on the Taiwan issue and will adhere to the “one China” principle.
China, the world’s second-largest economy, has taken a neutral stance on the war but announced a “no-holds-barred” partnership with Russia days before the Ukrainian conflict began in 2022 and hosted President Vladimir Putin for talks, most recently in May.
Beijing has also provided Russia with diplomatic support and helped keep Russia’s wartime economy afloat.
China wants to prevent conflict escalation
Wang, who is also a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee, noted that the crisis in Ukraine is now in its third year and the conflict still retains the risk of escalation and spread.
Noting that China remains firmly committed to a political solution to the Ukraine crisis, Wang said the four principles outlined by Chinese President Xi Jinping form China’s fundamental approach to finding a solution to the crisis.
On this basis, Wang noted that China and Brazil have jointly outlined six common positions on a political solution to the Ukrainian crisis, including three principles of conflict management, three elements of a peace plan, three humanitarian issues, as well as important measures to prevent nuclear risks and ensure the stability of industrial and supply chains.
This consensus has been widely supported and echoed by the international community, Wang added.
Conflicts should end at the negotiating table, Wang says
China believes that all conflicts should end at the negotiating table and all disputes should be resolved through political means, Wang said, adding that both Ukraine and Russia have recently shown willingness to negotiate. Adding that China is closely monitoring the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and will continue to provide humanitarian aid to the country, Wang added:
“Although the conditions and time are not yet ripe, we support all efforts conducive to peace and are willing to continue to play a constructive role in the ceasefire and resumption of peace talks.”
The visit comes shortly after US President Joe Biden, who is leading international efforts to aid Ukraine, announced he would not seek reelection. Kuleba’s trip also comes weeks after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky openly criticised Beijing for allegedly helping Moscow sabotage a peace conference in Switzerland last month.
In March, Former Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, Oleksiy Danilov, insulted Chinese representative Li Hui after the latter had completed a series of visits to European countries, during which he held meetings with officials from Russia, Belgium, Poland, Ukraine, Germany, and France. At the time, Hui discussed prospects for resolving the Ukrainian crisis.
Last year, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, also criticised China and India, saying that the intellectual potential of the two countries was weak despite the fact that they were effectively investing in science.
A Ukrainian delegation arrived in Taiwan in October 2022. The Ukrainian representatives arrived in Taiwan shortly after China re-elected Xi Jinping as general secretary of the Communist Party of China, which actually offended the Chinese leader.
Taiwan has spent over $110 million to support Kyiv during the two years of the Ukrainian conflict. Earlier, the media reported on Taiwan’s supply of 800 drone bombers to Kyiv. Taipei is interested in supporting this side of the conflict, as it projects the Ukrainian scenario on relations with mainland China.
Moreover, the Ukrainian military conflict involves Taiwanese volunteers on the side of the Ukrainian army. In autumn 2022, Taiwan-born Tseng Shengguang died after being wounded at the frontline, the media reported.
