Ukraine signals willingness to negotiate with Russia as top diplomat meets Chinese counterpart

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukraine on Wednesday signaled its willingness to negotiate with Russia, saying any talks should be "rational" and that Moscow should show "good faith."

The comments by Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba came during a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

Wang hosted Kuleba in Guangzhou city in China’s southern Guangdong province with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war on the agenda.

This is the first official trip to China by the top Ukrainian diplomat since the Moscow-Kyiv war began in February 2022.

He told the top Ukrainian diplomat that resolution of conflicts "eventually" returns to the negotiating table.

"Ukraine is willing and ready to engage in dialogue and negotiations" with Russia, Kuleba said, according to a readout released by China's Foreign Ministry.

"Of course, the negotiations should be rational and substantive, aiming to achieve a just and lasting peace," said the Ukrainian foreign minister.

Wang said the conditions and timing “are not yet ripe” for negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow.

“Recently, both Ukraine and Russia have sent signals of willingness to negotiate to varying degrees,” the top Chinese diplomat said.

China believes that the resolution of all conflicts "must eventually return to the negotiation table; the resolution of all disputes must always be achieved through political means,” Wang stressed.

War between Russia and Ukraine is in its third year with thousands of people killed and wounded while millions have been displaced.

Wang added: “We support all efforts conducive to peace and are willing to continue to play a constructive role in ceasefire and resumption of peace talks.”

Wang expressed China’s “concern” over the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, and said Beijing “will continue to provide humanitarian assistance” to Kyiv.

According to a readout from Kyiv, Kuleba told Wang: “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."

"Russian aggression has destroyed peace and slowed down development, and each new day of war entails new violations of humanity and further erosion of justice. Therefore, it is necessary to end the war against Ukraine, restore peace and accelerate the restoration of our country," Kuleba told his Chinese counterpart.

The top Ukrainian diplomat said Kyiv was "ready to engage the Russian side in the negotiation process at a certain stage, when Russia is ready to negotiate in good faith, but emphasized that no such readiness is currently observed on the Russian side."

While Beijing has called for respect for the territorial integrity of all nations, it has not condemned Moscow for its war on Kyiv.

Instead, China, in collaboration with Brazil, has proposed a three-point de-escalation formula to bring a political solution to the Russia-Ukraine war.

The formula includes no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting, and no provocation by any party.