Ukrainian diplomats have called on close Russian ally China to give up its neutral position and play a more active role in ending the ongoing war in Ukraine, which is approaching the one-month mark. Kyiv’s plea to Beijing comes as several rounds of Ukraine-Russia peace talks have failed to resolve the conflict, while the West continues to impose sanctions on Moscow, possibly prolonging the crisis.
During a talk organised by British think-tank Chatham House, the Head of the Ukrainian President’s office, Andriy Yermak, urged the Chinese government to play “a more noticeable role in bringing this war to an end.” Yermak noted China’s position as Ukraine’s largest trading partner and major world leader, adding that Kyiv believes Beijing will play a key role in establishing a “new global security system,” and also be a crucial guarantor within that system. “Because we treat China with the utmost respect, and we expect it to play a proactive role there,” he highlighted.
And Kyiv is hopeful Beijing will play a more prominent role in bringing this war to an end. We look forward to @ZelenskyyUa and Xi Jinping talk.
— Andriy Yermak (@AndriyYermak) March 22, 2022
Moreover, Yermak made it clear that Ukraine sees China as a neutral player in the conflict, despite “rumours” about Beijing providing economic and military assistance to Moscow.
Yermak also mentioned that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly expressed his wish to talk to Chinese President Xi Jinping, adding, “We expect dialogue between President Zelensky and President Xi to take place very soon.”
In a similar vein, Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba also urged China to play an “important” role in the efforts to end Russia’s military assault. This is only the second time that Ukraine has directly addressed China; the first time being on March 1 after Kuleba’s call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Following that call, Kuleba remarked, “China is ready to make efforts to end the war through diplomacy.”
For decades, the Ukrainian-Chinese relations have been based on mutual respect, understanding and benefit. We share Beijing’s position on the need to find a political solution to the war against Ukraine and call on China as a global power to play an important role in this effort.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 21, 2022
So far, China has pledged a total of $2.3 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, of which $1.57 million was announced earlier on Monday.
Ukraine’s recent push to involve China comes against the backdrop of “difficult” and “scandalous” peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv at various levels. Zelensky said the talks are moving forward “step by step,” and even offered to conduct direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin “in any format” to expedite the peace process. However, the Kremlin has indicated that it would like “substantial” and “swift” responses by Kyiv regarding its official list of demands.
Meanwhile, Western intelligence reports suggest that senior Chinese officials had in early February urged their Russian counterparts to delay their invasion of Ukraine until after the completion of the Beijing Winter Olympics.