China's efforts in Kiev to end war in Ukraine show no success so far
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The Chinese envoy's visit follows a previous call in April between Zelensky and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and a push for peace by Beijing.
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Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at a meeting with China's special representative for Eurasian affairs Li Hui, in Kiev, Ukraine May 16, 2023. (Reuters)
The meeting between Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and China’s special representative for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui, in Kiev, has not come to fruition so far amid an effort to bring the war in Ukraine to an end.
According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's statement, Kuleba “emphasized that Ukraine does not accept any proposals that would involve the loss of its territories or the freezing of the conflict".
China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Li, after convening with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, presented China's position on an agreement. Li stated that there was no one-size-fits-all solution, but that mutual respect and trust are required for a healthy environment for talks.
Li's visit follows a previous call in April between Zelensky and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, when Zelensky told his counterpart that he was expecting China not to supply Russia with arms, to which Xi replied by assuring that Beijing was not.
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The Ukrainian foreign ministry's statement further relayed that Kuleba encouraged Chinese approval in implementing Zelensky’s peace formula, which aims to restore Ukrainian control over all its lands.
Both Europe and the US have shown acceptance of China's role in being the mediator.
French President Emmanuel Macron has previously asked China, according to Bloomberg back in April, to mediate in ending the war in Ukraine, and that was only 12 days after he called on Xi to urge Russia to end the war.
In February, China released a 12-point document entitled "China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis," which underscores respect for the sovereignty of all countries, the cessation of hostilities, and the resumption of peace talks between Moscow and Kiev. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that some of the provisions of the plan could be a basis for a peace settlement "if the West and Kiev are ready for it."
Moscow noted Beijing's willingness to initiate a negotiation process at the time, but emphasized that Kiev continues to reject "any sensible initiatives aimed at a political and diplomatic settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, and eventual agreement to negotiations," dictating ultimatums with "deliberately unrealistic demands."
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