A Chinese envoy was in Ukraine this week to meet with government leaders to discuss how they can bring about the end of Russia's war.
Special envoy for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui visited Kyiv on Tuesday and Wednesday, where he met with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, and others, the Chinese foreign ministry statement said.
WHAT THE GOP WORK REQUIREMENT PROPOSAL WOULD REALLY DO
The Chinese foreign ministry, in a statement regarding Li's trip, acknowledged there is "no panacea to resolve the crisis," though it added, "All parties need to start from themselves, accumulate mutual trust, and create conditions for ending the war and peace talks."
The ministry also said it was willing to promote its 12-point peace plan for ending the war in Ukraine, which it released on the year anniversary of its beginning, which has long been seen as a non-starter for Kyiv. The plan includes a ceasefire but does not force Russians to leave the occupied areas, and Ukrainian leaders have said they would reject any proposal that would include sacrificing its territorial integrity.
"On the basis of the document 'China's Position on the Political Solution to the Ukraine Crisis,' China is willing to promote the international community to form the greatest common denominator for resolving the Ukraine crisis, and make its own efforts to stop the war, cease-fire and restore peace as soon as possible," the statement from the Chinese ministry said.
Kuleba stressed that point in the meeting, according to the Ukrainian foreign ministry said in a statement.
"Kuleba briefed the special envoy of the Chinese government in detail on the principles of restoring a sustainable and just peace based on respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the ministry said. "He stressed that Ukraine did not accept any proposals involving the loss of its territories or the freezing of the conflict.”
Beijing has sought to portray itself as a neutral arbiter in the war though they still discuss the war through the Russian lens, including by not condemning Moscow or referring to its actions as an "invasion."
Zelensky spoke with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the end of April in a call that he described as "long and meaningful." In the call, Xi said he wouldn't add "fuel to the fire," possibly signaling that they won't provide weapons to Moscow, as the U.S. has warned them against doing. It was the first time they spoke since the war began.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
A month or so before the call, the Chinese leader traveled to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders have increasingly found themselves isolated on the global scale but with one another in opposition to the West and the United States in particular.
U.S. officials have warned since February that they had intelligence indicating China was considering providing lethal aid to Russia for use in Ukraine, though they reiterated that they still haven't seen it actually occur.