Peace momentum must be sustained by talks between Russia and Ukraine

On announcing in April 2023 that a special representative of the Chinese government on Eurasian affairs was to visit Ukraine and other countries to conduct in-depth communication with all parties with the aim of promoting a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, President Xi Jinping stressed that dialogue and negotiations are the only viable way to end the conflict.

As a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday, China has been committed to promoting talks for peace since day one of the conflict. It supports resolving the crisis through dialogue and negotiation, and calls on all parties to create conditions for the resumption of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Beijing has therefore welcomed the news that high-level delegations from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul, Turkiye, on Thursday in what was their first direct talks in three years, opening up the prospect of a potential ceasefire as well as a path forward for resolving the Ukraine crisis through dialogues and negotiations.