Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba arrives in China, a close partner of Russia, on Tuesday for an unprecedented visit to discuss ways to find a peaceful resolution to the war between Kyiv and Moscow. Beijing intends to mediate in the conflict despite its close economic, diplomatic, and military ties with Moscow, which have been further strengthened since the Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory in February 2022. Kuleba's visit, expected to last until Friday, is his first to China since the start of the Russian operation. It follows sharp criticism from NATO regarding the economic assistance Beijing provides to Moscow and comes a week after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky opened the door to talks with Russia for the first time, stating he supports Moscow's presence at a future peace summit.
A first summit was held in mid-June in Switzerland with the participation of dozens of countries. However, Russia was not invited, leading China to opt out, considering the summit had no chance for progress. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated that "the main topic of discussion" during Kuleba's visit will be exploring ways to stop the Russian aggression and China's role in achieving a lasting and fair peace.
China, which shares with Russia the desire to act as a counterbalance to American influence, has never condemned the Russian invasion and accuses NATO of neglecting Moscow's security concerns. However, the Asian giant also called last year for respect for the territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine. China aims to position itself as a mediator and accuses the West of "pouring oil on the fire" by arming Ukraine.
At the beginning of July, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the international community to "create conditions" for "direct dialogue" between Kyiv and Moscow during a meeting in Beijing with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. China's special envoy for the Ukrainian issue, veteran diplomat Li Hui, a former ambassador to Moscow, has conducted multiple diplomatic tours that have taken him to Brussels, Russia, Ukraine, the Middle East, and Turkey.
China also calls for an end to hostilities, a position that the West criticizes, believing it would allow Russia to consolidate its territorial gains in Ukraine. For Kyiv, what role can Beijing now play? Kuleba may wish to try to "convince China of the necessity of participating in a second peace summit," according to Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia and Eurasia Center based in Berlin, who spoke to AFP. He believes "Beijing may try to get something from Kyiv in return."
Western Sanctions
China has outlined conditions for its participation: the summit must, from its perspective, allow for "equal participation of all parties" and "fair discussion of all peace plans," including Russia's position. U.S. and European officials are likely to closely monitor this visit, as China offers significant economic support to Russia, which faces major Western sanctions.
In early July, leaders of NATO member countries expressed their "deep concern" over this support, which the West frequently condemns. The West particularly accuses Chinese companies of selling dual-use products, both civilian and military, to Russia, such as components and other equipment necessary for sustaining Russian military production. China denies this and asserts that it exercises strict control over the exports of such products, including civilian drones. Nevertheless, the U.S. and Europeans are imposing sanctions on Chinese companies accused of aiding Moscow. According to Gabuev, this is one of the issues on the agenda of Dmytro Kuleba's visit, and he comments that Beijing may try to "capitalize on Ukraine's interest in a second summit" as part of its efforts to "avoid" new Western sanctions.
