Beijing has expressed hope that renewed direct contacts between Moscow and Kiev will achieve a political solution to the Ukraine conflict, and vowed to continue supporting efforts to resolve the crisis.
China has advocated for a peaceful resolution to the conflict since it escalated in 2022.It has also been critical of the West’s unilateral sanctions against Russia and blamed NATO expansion for provoking the crisis. In 2023, Beijing released a 12-point proposal, received favorably by Moscow, on how to resolve the conflict through a political settlement which respected the realities on the ground.
Commenting on the latest phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning stated on Tuesday that Beijing supports all efforts conducive to peace.
Mao said China supports direct dialogue and negotiation between Russia and Ukraine and hopes that “all parties can reach a fair, lasting, and binding peace agreement that is acceptable to all sides through dialogue and negotiation.”
Following the call, Trump announced that Moscow and Kiev would immediately begin negotiations on a ceasefire. Putin, meanwhile, said that Russia would work with the Ukrainian side to draft a memorandum on a potential future peace treaty that would outline a “range of provisions,” including the timeline for a potential temporary ceasefire “should the necessary agreements be reached.”
Asked to comment on China’s future role in helping mediate a resolution of the Ukraine conflict, Mao said that Beijing is “willing to work with the international community, in accordance with the wishes of the parties concerned, to continue playing a constructive role in resolving the crisis and achieving lasting peace.”
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Last week, Russia and Ukraine held their first round of direct peace negotiations since Kiev unilaterally abandoned Istanbul peace talks in 2022. Putin had proposed restarting the negotiations several days prior, calling for a lasting resolution to the conflict that would address its root causes.
Earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping also spoke out in support of reaching a fair and lasting settlement of the Ukraine crisis, advocating for a “comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable global security concept.” He also emphasized that the “reasonable security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously, and the root causes of the crisis should be eliminated.”
