Ukraine tells China that Russia not ready for 'good faith' talks

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told his Chinese counterpart that his government did not believe Russia was ready for "good faith" negotiations to end the war, his ministry said Wednesday.

Kuleba's statement to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi came as he visited China for talks starting Tuesday with Russia's most important ally.

China presents itself as a neutral party in the war, insisting that the only way to end it is by bringing both Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table.

It says it is not sending lethal assistance to either side, unlike the United States and other Western nations, though it is a key political and economic partner of Russia, with NATO members branding Beijing a "decisive enabler" of the war.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry said Kuleba told Wang that Kyiv was prepared to negotiate with Russian representatives when Moscow is willing to hold talks "in good faith".

"Dmytro Kuleba reiterated Ukraine's consistent position that it is ready to negotiate with the Russian side at a certain stage, when Russia is ready to negotiate in good faith, but stressed that currently there is no such readiness on the Russian side," the ministry said Wednesday.

It cited Kuleba as saying: "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".

Kuleba is the first senior Ukrainian official to visit China since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

His trip is scheduled to last until Friday.

China's foreign ministry had said Kuleba and Wang held talks in the city of Guangzhou, with spokeswoman Mao Ning telling journalists they "exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis".

"Although the conditions and timing are not yet mature, we support all efforts that contribute to peace and are willing to continue to play a constructive role for a ceasefire and the resumption of peace talks," she said.

"China has always been firmly committed to promoting a political solution to the crisis," she added.

- 'Political settlement' -

China has sought to paint itself as a mediator in the war, sending envoy Li Hui to Europe on multiple visits, and releasing a paper calling for a "political settlement" to the conflict.

However, Western countries said the plan, if applied, would allow Russia to retain much of the territory it has seized in Ukraine.

Beijing has rebuffed claims it is supporting Russia's war effort, insisting last week that its position was "open and above board" and accusing the West of fuelling the conflict through arms shipments to Kyiv.

China did not attend a peace summit in Switzerland last month in protest against Russia not being invited.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called during that summit for Beijing to engage seriously with developing peace proposals.

- 'Extract a price' -

Kuleba said on arrival in China Tuesday that "we must avoid competition between peace plans" and urged Beijing to "look at relations with our country through the prism of its strategic relations with Europe".

Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, told AFP that Kyiv would likely seek this week to "convince China that it should participate in a second peace summit".

"Beijing can try to extract a price, even for sending somebody like special envoy ambassador Li Hui," he said.

China has offered a critical lifeline to Russia's isolated economy since the conflict began.

But that economic partnership has come under scrutiny from the West in recent months, with the United States vowing to go after financial institutions that facilitate Russia's war effort.

The United States and Europe have also accused China of selling components and equipment necessary to keep Russia's military production afloat.