Ukrainian Foreign Minister Discusses Peace Prospects With China

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he had discussed the prospects for peace in Kyiv’s nearly two-year-old war against Russia with his Chinese counterpart, part of a long-running bid to bolster relations with Beijing.

“I met with my Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to discuss bilateral relations, trade, and the need to restore a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” Kuleba wrote on X, formerly Twitter, of their talks at the Munich Security Conference.

Kuleba said he had discussed Ukraine’s plans for a global peace summit, which Switzerland has agreed to host. The two men, he said, “agreed on the need to maintain Ukraine-China contacts at all levels and continue our dialogue”.

Report says China has attended at least one of the preparatory meetings that have taken place in anticipation of such a summit.

Wang told Kuleba that China will continue to push for a political resolution through dialogue, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.

China will not “add fuel to the fire, take advantage of opportunities to reap gains, or sell lethal weapons in conflict zones or parties,” Wang said.

Ukraine has sought to bring China onside for Kyiv’s 10-point peace plan which focuses on a withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied territory, the restoration of 1991 post-Soviet borders, and a framework to bring Moscow to account for its actions.

However, China, which has been pursuing a “strategic partnership” with Russia, proposed a peace plan of its own last year calling for a ceasefire, negotiations, and an end to sanctions against Russia. But the plan made little headway.

Ukraine has also made efforts to enlist support from nations in Africa and elsewhere in the Global South, where Russia benefits from longstanding ties dating back to the Soviet era.

China has insisted on keeping to its longstanding policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. But at the same time, it has tried to portray itself as a responsible major nation, pushing for dialogue to resolve global issues.

The Ukraine negotiations should restart as soon as possible to reduce losses on both sides, Wang told the conference.

“As long as there is still a glimmer of hope for peace, we will not give up,” he said.

REUTERS/Christopher Ojilere