Ukraine's Foreign Minister Visits China to Discuss Peace Efforts

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is set to visit China for two days of discussions aimed at persuading Beijing to lessen its support for Russia and endorse Ukraine's call for a sustainable peace. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the primary focus of Kuleba's talks will be on finding ways to halt Russian aggression and exploring China's potential role in achieving a just resolution to the ongoing conflict. Despite being a close ally of Moscow, China has maintained a neutral stance, denying support for Russia's invasion while refraining from condemning the war. Beijing confirmed the visit, stating it was initiated by China's foreign minister. Last year, China proposed a political settlement to the conflict, which Ukraine rejected, and Western nations warned that the plan could allow Russia to retain occupied territories. During a previous visit to Beijing, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed support for China's peace proposal, describing it as a genuine effort to end hostilities. Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently hosted a peace summit in Switzerland, which aimed to outline a vision for lasting peace but excluded Russia, leading to China's boycott of the event. Zelenskyy accused China of collaborating with Russia to undermine peace efforts. As tensions escalate, both Ukraine and Russia have ramped up missile and drone attacks, primarily targeting energy infrastructure. Russia frequently reports intercepting Ukrainian drones, which Kyiv claims are retaliatory measures against ongoing Russian assaults on military and civilian sites since the conflict began in February 2022.