Ukraine will negotiate with Russia only when the latter is ready to do so in “good faith,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Wednesday in China, where he is on an official visit.
Despite its strong economic, diplomatic and military ties with Moscow, further strengthened since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Beijing has for many months intended to play mediator between the two belligerents.
Mr. Kuleba’s visit, which is due to last until Friday, is the first by a Ukrainian official of this level since the start of the conflict.
During his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Wednesday, the head of Ukrainian diplomacy “reiterated Ukraine’s position of being ready to negotiate with the Russian side […] “when Russia is ready to negotiate in good faith,” according to a Ukrainian statement, hammering home that “currently the Russian side is not willing to do so.”
Russian authorities have set draconian conditions for peace talks. As a prerequisite, they demand the return of four Ukrainian regions, in addition to Crimea annexed in 2014, and that Ukraine renounce its accession to NATO.
China wants to be a mediator
Asked about the meeting in the morning in Canton, in the south of China, between Wang Yi and Dmytro Kouleba, Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for Chinese diplomacy, simply said that they had “exchanged their points of view” on the Ukrainian file.
“Wang Yi stressed that the crisis in Ukraine has entered its third year, the conflict is continuing and there is a risk of escalation and spillover.”
“China believes that the resolution of all conflicts must ultimately come through the negotiating table,” she added to the press.
In a statement released the same day by his ministry, Dmytro Kuleba assured that Ukraine also wanted “to follow the path of peace, recovery and development.”
“I am convinced that these are the strategic priorities that we share,” said the Ukrainian official, for whom “Russian aggression has destroyed peace and slowed down development.”
China, which shares with Russia a desire to act as a counterweight to the United States, has never condemned the Russian invasion and accuses NATO of neglecting Moscow’s security concerns.
However, last year, in a document on the war, this Asian giant also called for respect for the territorial integrity of all states, including Ukraine.
He thus presents himself as a measured interlocutor compared to the West, accused of “throwing oil on the fire” by delivering weapons to the Ukrainians.
Despite obvious differences in positions, Dmytro Kuleba said on Instagram on Tuesday that kyiv and Beijing should engage “in direct dialogue” and called for “avoiding competition between peace plans.”
Western accusations
A week ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky opened the door to talks with Russia, saying he was in favor of the presence of Russian representatives at a future peace summit.
A first summit was organized in mid-June in Switzerland. But Russia was not invited and China therefore decided not to participate, considering that it had no chance, under these conditions, of achieving progress.
The Chinese had set several conditions for their possible presence: a summit must “allow the equal participation of all parties” and a “fair discussion of all peace plans” – including that of President Vladimir Putin, which kyiv refuses, since this implies de facto a capitulation of Ukraine.
“Russia and Ukraine have recently shown, to varying degrees, their willingness to negotiate,” Chinese spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday.
“Although the conditions are not yet ripe, we support all efforts conducive to peace and are ready to continue to play a constructive role in achieving a ceasefire and the resumption of peace talks,” she said.
China is regularly accused by the Americans and Europeans of offering Russia, targeted by significant Western sanctions, crucial economic support in its war effort.
Western countries particularly accuse Chinese companies of selling “dual-use” products (civil and military) necessary to keep Russian arms production afloat, something Beijing denies.
China regularly advocates for a halt to the fighting, a controversial position because it would allow Russia to consolidate its territorial gains.