Ukraine is prepared to hold peace talks with Russia to end their two-year war, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmyto Kuleba told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on his first visit to China since the outbreak of the conflict.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning provided reporters with a summarized account of the discussed topics between the ministers on Wednesday, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“Ukraine is ready and willing to engage in dialogue and negotiations with Russia," Kuleba said, as quoted by Mao.

“Of course, the negotiations should be rational and substantive, aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace,” he added.

Mao quoted Wang who warned of the conflicts' "risk of escalation and spillover", affirming China's stance that "the resolution of all conflicts must eventually return to the negotiation table." He highlighted that "recently, both Ukraine and Russia have sent signals of willingness to negotiate to varying degrees."

Zelensky's change of heart

Ukraine's top diplomat's visit to China follows Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's statement earlier this week of wanting to end the war "as soon as possible," highlighting his readiness to communicate with Moscow.

This contradicts his presidential decree signed in 2022 that barred talks with the leadership of Russia, which was implemented following the decision of four former Ukrainian regions to join the Russian side. 

Since then, Zelensky has been campaigning for his "peace formula," which calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops from territories claimed by Kiev. Russia, in response, dismissed the proposal, deeming it unrealistic.

A "peace summit" hosted in Switzerland back in June aimed to address Zelensky's "peace formula." However, Russia was not invited, while China boycotted the summit, arguing that Moscow should be part of the process. 

Kuleba's willingness to engage with Russia coincides with Ukrainian troops having been gradually pushed back by Russian forces in Donbass and other areas. 

Putin sets conditions for Ukraine peace talks

In a statement delivered on June 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia is prepared to initiate negotiations with Ukraine under specific conditions.

Putin outlined the conditions for the proposed peace plan, stating that Ukrainian forces must withdraw entirely from the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, as well as from the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

He specified that the withdrawal should cover the entire territory of these regions within their original administrative borders before they became part of Ukraine. Once Kiev agrees to these terms and begins withdrawing troops while also formally renouncing NATO membership plans, Russia will immediately cease fire and commence negotiations.

"Our fundamental position is as follows: a neutral, non-aligned, non-nuclear status for Ukraine, along with its demilitarization and de-Nazification. These parameters were broadly agreed upon during the Istanbul negotiations in 2022," Putin said.

The president emphasized that Russia is prepared to enter negotiations with Ukraine as soon as possible, acknowledging the complexities involved, "We are ready to sit at the negotiation table tomorrow, fully aware of the unique legal circumstances. Despite these, there are legitimate authorities, even according to their constitution, with whom we can negotiate."