Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba arrived in China on Tuesday for his first official visit to the country, aimed at discussing ways to end the ongoing war with Russia.
Invited by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Kuleba will engage in talks focused on China's potential role in achieving a sustainable and just peace, according to a statement from Ukraine's Foreign Ministry.
The visit occurs as the war, now in its 29th month, remains in a bloody deadlock. China has not officially labeled the conflict as a war and has echoed Russian narratives.
Despite U.S. sanctions complicating cross-border payments, China continues to support Russia's economy through significant trade and purchases of discounted Russian oil.
During a regular news conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that discussions would cover “common understandings” between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Chinese President Xi Jinping, aiming to enhance China-Ukraine cooperation and address mutual concerns. Mao reiterated China's stance on promoting an early ceasefire and a political settlement, emphasizing support for an international consensus to end the conflict.
Chinese state-run media, the Global Times, highlighted Kuleba's visit as evidence that Ukraine does not view China as a “decisive enabler” of Russia's war, a label previously used by the U.S. and NATO. The NATO statement had cited the use of Chinese-made dual-use materials, weapons components, and drones by Russian forces.
China has portrayed itself as a neutral mediator in peace talks, although Zelensky has accused Beijing of dissuading other countries from attending peace talks in Switzerland, which he had lobbied for. China did not send an envoy to these talks, citing the lack of an invitation for Russia.
In a recent Reddit Q&A session, Kuleba emphasized Ukraine's strategy of “win and recover,” asserting that with sufficient resources, Kyiv could force Moscow to withdraw. He claimed Russia had suffered 168,000 casualties since January 1, extending its control of Ukrainian territory from 17.61 percent to 17.68 percent during that period.
