Ukraine holds the front line, seeks Chinese mediation for talks with Russia
Al Jazeera
Ukraine’s foreign minister visited Beijing for the first time during the war, as Kyiv turns to diplomacy to win war aims.
Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba was in Beijing on July 23-24, for what he called “very deep and concentrated” talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
It was the first time that Ukraine had reached out to China as a mediator with Russia since Moscow invaded its neighbour in February 2022. Kuleba’s visit came in the middle of a major diplomatic initiative by Ukraine to prepare favourable international conditions for direct talks with the Kremlin.
Kuleba said Ukraine was ready to engage “when Russia is ready to negotiate in good faith,” but “no such readiness is currently observed on the Russian side.”
Wang also said that “conditions and timing are not yet ripe.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Kyiv must surrender the four regions of Ukraine his military partly occupies as a precondition to a ceasefire and talks. He also wants Ukraine to promise never to join the NATO alliance, and reduce the strength of its armed forces.
