Ukraine’s Foreign Minister seeking ’common ground’ with China in talks on ending war with Russia

Ukraine's Foreign Minister seeks common ground with China to end war with Russia, highlighting China's global peace role.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said he is seeking “common ground” in talks this week with his Chinese counterpart on ending his country's war with Russia.

Mr. Kuleba met on July 24 with Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Guangzhou, a major commercial and manufacturing centre in southern China. It is the first visit to the country by a Ukrainian Foreign Minister since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has strained Ukraine's relations with China.

“I am convinced that a just peace in Ukraine is in China’s strategic interests, and China’s role as a global force for peace is important,” Mr. Kuleba said in opening remarks.

China has close ties with Russia and has pushed for an end to the war that would take into account the interests of both sides. That position has put it at odds not only with Ukraine but also Western European countries and the U.S., which are demanding a Russian withdrawal as the basis for any settlement.

China did not participate in a peace conference in Switzerland last month that did not include Russia.

Mr. Kuleba was expected to lobby Chinese officials to attend another peace conference planned for sometime before the American presidential election in early November. His visit reflects a calculation that any peace deal favorable to Ukraine would likely be a non-starter without China on board.

Chinese officials maintained that the two countries have friendly and cooperative relations. Noting the growth in trade between them, Mr. Wang said in his opening remarks that ties have continued to develop normally “despite complex and ever-changing international and regional situations.”