Ukraine calls on China to pressure Putin for peace talks

In the wake of Russia's ongoing aggression in Ukraine, Ukrainian officials have reached out to China, seeking its influence to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to pursue peace. The appeal came as Putin arrived in Beijing on September 2, 2023, following participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, where he reiterated his defense of the war against Ukraine. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry highlighted the absence of any acknowledgement of the Ukraine conflict in the SCO's final declaration, indicating a failure in Moscow's diplomatic efforts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has persistently urged China, due to its strong ties with Russia, to play a more proactive role in facilitating negotiations aimed at ending the war. The appeal underscores the significance of China's geopolitical position and the potential impact its intervention could have on the conflict. Meanwhile, the summit's final document, the Tianjin Declaration, notably did not address the war, raising concerns about the international community's handling of the situation. The summit took place against a backdrop of heightened tensions in Europe, particularly as European allies of Ukraine, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, prepared for a meeting in Paris on September 4. This coalition, referred to as the Coalition of the Willing, aims to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine amid ongoing hostilities by Russia. These developments come as Kyiv's leadership seeks to navigate a complex international landscape while pushing for a resolution to the conflict. Despite the ongoing war and the severe humanitarian crisis it has caused, Putin at the summit continued to frame the conflict as a response to purported threats posed by the West, including NATO's involvement in Ukraine. His assertions have been widely contested, but they reflect a consistent strategy of defiance against Western influence. In this climate, some anticipation exists for a trilateral summit involving Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy, though Kremlin officials indicated no concrete plans for such a meeting as of now. Overall, Ukraine's appeal to China represents a crucial moment in the continuing struggle for a diplomatic resolution to the war that escalated following Russia's invasion in February 2022.