Wang Yi photo:fmprc
In his latest remarks on the Ukraine crisis before the third anniversary of the conflict, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that while the positions of various parties on the Ukraine crisis may not be entirely aligned, dialogue is always better than confrontation, and negotiation is always better than fighting, according to a release from the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Sunday.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said during a Saturday press interview after the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting that China has consistently advocated for settling global disputes and conflicts peacefully through dialogue and consultation. China did not create the Ukraine crisis, nor is it a party to the crisis, yet China has neither stood idle nor taken advantage of it, Wang said.
Over the past three years, China has consistently followed the four-point proposal put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping, actively promoting peace and dialogue, China has also partnered with Brazil and other countries in creating the Group of Friends for Peace to garner the collective wisdom of the countries of the Global South. The evolving situation has proven that China's proposal is objective, fair, rational, and pragmatic, reflecting the broad consensus of the international community, Wang noted.
Wang said that recently, calls for peace talks have been rising, and the window for peace is opening. China supports all efforts aimed at peace and hopes that all parties involved will find a solution that addresses each other's concerns and is sustainable and lasting.
China is willing to continue playing a constructive role in a political resolution to the Ukraine crisis, considering the concerns of the international community, especially the Global South, based on the requests of the parties involved.
Wang's remarks on the Ukraine crisis comes as Moscow and Washington are planning to hold a second meeting in the next two weeks, the RIA state news agency reported on Saturday, citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for a face-to-face meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Ryabkov, noting that the possible summit could involve broad talks on global issues, not just the Ukraine crisis, according to AP on Sunday.
The second round of US-Russia talks is likely to focus on "areas of compromise," Sun Xiuwen, an associate professor at the Institute for Central Asian Studies at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times on Sunday. "Russia may demand a reduction in US and NATO military support for Ukraine, while the US may seek concessions from Russia in regions like the Middle East and in energy," Sun said.
Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, doubts that the Trump administration's pursuit of closer ties with Russia would be sustainable, given the largely hostile domestic sentiment toward Russia in the US. "Trump's handling of the Ukraine crisis is like walking a tightrope - if he fails to maintain balance, it may lead to disastrous consequences," Li told the Global Times.
The second round of US-Russia talks is likely aimed at setting the stage for a meeting between the two heads of state, but whether this will have a substantial impact on resolving the Ukraine crisis remains to be seen, Li noted.
On the third anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which falls on Monday, the UN General Assembly will vote on nonbinding resolutions. The US has proposed its own resolution after refusing to back one drafted by Kiev and backed by Europe, CNN reported.
The Trump administration has now called on Ukraine to withdraw its annual resolution condemning Russia's aggression and instead wants to replace it with a US-sponsored one that contains no mention of Russian responsibility , per the Washington Post.
Ukraine is grappling with rising tensions with the Trump administration, as the two sides traded sharp rhetoric over an agreement that would provide the US with access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly rejected the deal because the American proposals do not include security guarantees, AP reported.
Significant progress has been made toward reaching an agreement, the report said citing a person familiar with the matter, but another source cited by CNN said the deal is "not the one President Zelensky would accept."
"The US' strong stance on Ukraine reflects Trump's 'America First' logic, treating Ukraine as a resource to be extracted and turning the geopolitical conflict into an economic one," Sun said. "The 'rare earths for aid' deal itself undermines Ukraine's sovereignty; if Ukraine refuses, it provides the US with an excuse to reduce military support," according to the expert.
