China backs Trump's Ukraine peace bid at G20 as U.S. allies rally behind Zelenskyy

China supports US, Russia talks on Ukraine at G20, willing to play role in resolving crisis, keen on involvement.

China came out in support of U.S. President Donald Trump's bid to strike a deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, at a G20 meeting in South Africa on Thursday (February 20, 2025), while U.S. allies rallied around Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Less than a month into his Presidency, Mr. Trump has upended U.S. policy on the war, scrapping a campaign to isolate Moscow with a phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin and talks between senior U.S. and Russian officials that have sidelined Ukraine.

Mr. Trump on Wednesday then denounced Zelenskyy as a "dictator," prompting statements of support for the Ukrainian President from G20 members such as Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom.

"China supports all efforts conducive to peace (in Ukraine), including the recent consensus reached between the United States and Russia," Wang Yi told other G20 Foreign Ministers gathered in Johannesburg, according to a statement from his Ministry.

"China is willing to continue playing a constructive role in the political resolution of the crisis," he added.

Mr. Wang did not reiterate the point he made at the Munich Security Conference last Friday that all stakeholders in the Russia-Ukraine conflict should participate in any peace talks.

Beijing wants to ensure its involvement in whatever deal Trump seeks to strike with the Kremlin to prevent a currently diplomatically-isolated Russia from slipping out from under its influence, and because its ties to Russia offer China an "in" with European officials worried about being frozen out of any talks, analysts say.