IANS | 24 Jul, 2024
Ukraine is ready to hold talks with Russia to end their conflict and
achieve a "just and lasting peace", Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry
Kuleba has told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, as per Chinese officials.
Addressing reporters on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman
Mao Ning shared details on the agenda of the top Ukrainian diplomat’s visit to
China – the first since the start of the conflict in February 2022 – as well as
his discussions with Wang, RT reported.
Mao said that the ongoing Moscow-Kiev conflict was high on the agenda,
and Kuleba said that “Ukraine is ready and willing to engage in dialogue and
negotiations with Russia.”
“Of course, the negotiations should be rational and substantive, aimed
at achieving a just and lasting peace,” he added, as quoted by Mao.
Mao said Wang had warned that there was a "risk of escalation and
spillover" of the conflict, adding that “China believes that the
resolution of all conflicts must eventually return to the negotiation
table". "Recently, both Ukraine and Russia have sent signals of
willingness to negotiate to varying degrees," the Chinese Minister said.
Kuleba’s trip to China comes after Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky
said earlier this week told visiting Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal
Pietro Parolin, that he wanted to end the conflict "as soon as
possible" and signalled readiness to engage with Russia. His stand was in
contrast to his 2022 presidential decree, ruling out all talks with the current
leadership in Moscow and then, his peace formula which the Russian leadership
has dismissed as "delusional".
In June, Ukraine attended the ‘peace summit’ in Switzerland, which
focused on several points of Zelensky’s formula. However, Moscow was not
invited, and Beijing also kept away from the event, arguing that Russia needed
to be part of the process. Several participants also later withdrew their
signatures from the final document.