Ukraine’s foreign minister stated that Kyiv is prepared to engage in negotiations with Moscow if the Russian side demonstrates a sincere willingness to negotiate in good faith.
During a meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister on July 24, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba conveyed that Kyiv would be open to restarting negotiations with Moscow if the Russian side exhibited a genuine commitment to negotiating in good faith.
Mr. Kuleba delivered this message while meeting with Wang Yi, the top diplomat of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), in Guangzhou, a key industrial and export center in southern China. This visit marked Ukraine’s foreign minister’s first trip to China since Russia initiated its full-scale invasion.
In the meeting on July 24, Mr. Kuleba reiterated that Ukraine is willing to engage the Russian side in negotiations once Russia is prepared to negotiate in good faith. However, there is currently no indication of such readiness on the Russian side, as per a summary of the meeting released by his ministry.
According to the summary from Beijing’s foreign ministry, Mr. Wang mentioned that the regime is firmly committed to advancing political settlements for the crisis and highlighted Beijing’s readiness to play a positive role in resuming peace talks.
The CCP has aimed to position itself as a peace mediator throughout the conflict, which began in February 2022, shortly after Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “no limits” partnership. Beijing has abstained from condemning Russia’s invasion or labeling it as such.
Ukraine’s Criticism of China
Mr. Kuleba’s visit to China on July 23 and his anticipated four-day stay were preceded by a statement from Ukraine’s foreign ministry indicating that his discussions in China would concentrate on exploring ways to halt Russian aggression and analyzing China’s potential role in achieving a sustainable and equitable peace.
The trip followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s condemnation of the Chinese regime, accusing it of supporting Russia in undermining his peace conference in Switzerland the previous month.
“Russia is taking advantage of Chinese influence in the region, including through Chinese diplomats, to disrupt the peace summit,” Mr. Zelenskyy asserted during a press conference on July 2 following his participation in the Shangri-La defense forum in Singapore.
The Ukrainian president specifically criticized the CCP for failing to fulfill its commitment of not aiding Russia’s war efforts.
Mr. Zelenskyy disclosed that Xi promised him in a January 2023 phone call that Beijing would refrain from supporting Russia with weapons. However, evidence suggests otherwise.
“There are indications from intelligence sources, including Ukrainian intelligence, that certain items are reaching Russia’s markets from China. Some components of Russia’s weaponry originate from China,” Mr. Zelenskyy informed the press.
Western officials have reported that Chinese entities are selling materials with both civilian and military applications, such as machine tools and chips, to help reconstruct Moscow’s defense sector.
Rescuers put out a fire in a private house destroyed during a missile attack in Kostyatynivka town, Donetsk region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on July 21, 2024. (Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images)
“Russia’s ability to continue its assault on Ukraine largely depends on China’s support,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken remarked during an April briefing in Beijing after a meeting with Xi and senior CCP officials. He warned that if China does not address this issue, consequences will follow.
Ahead of the trip, Mr. Kuleba conveyed to Chinese citizens in a video posted on Weibo, a popular social media platform in China, that Ukraine is collaborating with the international community to achieve peace based on a peace plan put forth by Ukraine.
“We do not desire this war in Ukraine, and we wish to bring it to an end as soon as possible. But we require a genuine and equitable peace that will enable us to restore stable development, prosperity, and security for our people,” Mr. Kuleba emphasized.
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