Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi received his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on Wednesday, July 24, as both countries expressed hope for peace in the war between kyiv and Moscow. Kuleba said his country would only negotiate with Russia when it was ready to do so ” sincerity “.
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Despite its strong economic, diplomatic and military ties with Moscow, further strengthened since the Russian invasion launched against Ukraine in February 2022, China has intended for many months to play the role of mediator in the conflict. Beijing thus presents itself as a measured interlocutor in comparison to the West, accused of “throwing oil on the fire” by delivering weapons to Ukraine. Dmytro Kuleba is making the first visit by a senior Ukrainian official to China since the start of the Russian invasion until Friday.
During his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Mr. Kouleba ” reiterated Ukraine’s position that it is ready to negotiate with the Russian side (…) when Russia is ready to negotiate in good faith “, according to a statement from Ukrainian diplomacy, adding that ” Currently the Russian side is not willing to do so “.
“ Today in China, I held detailed and in-depth negotiations with my Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the path to peace. I stressed that Ukraine needs a just and lasting peace, not just an illusion of peace, and I appreciate that this position is reciprocal. “, wrote the head of Ukrainian diplomacy on his X account (ex-Twitter).
Asked about the meeting between Wang Yi and Dmytro Kuleba, which took place on Wednesday morning in Canton, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for Chinese diplomacy, said that they had “ exchanged their views ” on the conflict. ” Wang Yi stressed that the crisis in Ukraine has entered its third year, the conflict is continuing and there is a risk of escalation and spillover. ” she stressed to the press, adding: “ China believes that the resolution of all conflicts must ultimately come through the negotiating table. »
” Russia and Ukraine have recently shown, to varying degrees, that they are willing to negotiate “, commented Chinese spokeswoman Mao Ning on Wednesday. Although the conditions are not yet ripe, we support all efforts conducive to peace and are willing to continue to play a constructive role in achieving a ceasefire and the resumption of peace talks. ” she said.
Despite obvious differences in positions, Dmytro Kuleba said on Instagram on Tuesday that kyiv and Beijing should engage ” in a direct dialogue » and called to « avoiding competition between peace plans “.
A week ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky opened the door to talks with Russia, saying he was in favor of having Russian representatives at a future peace summit.
China, which shares with Russia the desire to constitute a counterweight to the United States, accuses NATO of neglecting Moscow’s security concerns. On the other hand, China is regularly accused by the Americans and the Europeans of offering Russia, targeted by significant Western sanctions, crucial economic support in its war effort. The West notably accuses Chinese companies of selling products for civilian and military use, necessary to keep Russian arms production afloat, something Beijing denies.