China’s ambassador Li Hui said it may be difficult for all parties in the Russia-Ukraine conflict to gather for “fruitful” talks, a sign of the complexity of the situation as Beijing tries to broker a peace deal.
(Bloomberg) — China’s ambassador Li Hui said it may be difficult for all parties in the Russia-Ukraine conflict to gather for “fruitful” talks, a sign of the complexity of the situation as Beijing tries to broker a peace deal.
Li, China’s special representative for Eurasian Affairs, has been tasked with promoting Beijing’s efforts to negotiate an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. He was speaking to reporters in Beijing following his recent trip to Ukraine, Russia and several European nations, including France and Germany.
Li said the risk of escalation in the war remains high. The conflict is in a “stalemate and the battlefield is fraught with uncertainty,” he said. It was necessary for some party to take the initiative to help find a solution, he said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russia’s biggest diplomatic backer, announced the plan to send an envoy to Ukraine during his first call with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy since Vladimir Putin’s invasion, part of a wider blueprint to end a war that has stoked energy and food prices around the globe. Beijing’s proposal included a call for a cease-fire, something that Ukraine, the US and its allies have all rejected because it would effectively help Russia consolidate territorial gains.
During Li’s visit last month, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba made clear that Kyiv would not accept an outcome that leads to the loss of territory or a frozen conflict. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed confidence that Ukraine would regain more territory, telling the Washington Post last month that the Biden administration was open to a Chinese mediation role if it backed a “just and durable” peace.
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