(Reuters) – Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Saturday he had discussed the prospects for peace in Kyiv's nearly two-year-old war against Russia with his Chinese counterpart, part of a long-running bid to bolster relations with Beijing.
"I met with my Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to discuss bilateral relations, trade, and the need to restore a just and lasting peace in Ukraine," Kuleba wrote on X, formerly Twitter, of their talks at the Munich Security Conference.
Kuleba said he had discussed Ukraine's plans to hold a global peace summit, which Switzerland has agreed to help stage. The two men, he said, "agreed on the need to maintain Ukraine-China contacts at all levels and continue our dialogue".
China has attended at least one of the preparatory meetings that have taken place in anticipation of such a summit.
The Chinese foreign ministry has yet to release details on Wang's talks with Kuleba. But, in his public remarks to the conference, Wang said China had persisted in promoting peace talks and in playing a positive role in restoring peace, according to a statement from the ministry released on Sunday.
Ukraine has sought to enhance ties with Beijing and bring China onside for Kyiv's 10-point peace plan which focuses on a withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied territory, the restoration of 1991 post-Soviet borders and a framework to bring Moscow to account for its actions.
China, which has been pursing a "strategic partnership" with Russia, proposed a peace plan of its own last year calling for a ceasefire, negotiations and an end to sanctions against Russia. But the plan made little headway.
Ukraine has also made efforts to enlist the support for its diplomatic campaign from nations in Africa and elsewhere in the Global South, where Russia benefits from longstanding ties dating back to the Soviet era.
"China is not the creator of the Ukraine crisis, nor is it a party, but we have not merely watched the 'fire' on the other side, nor have we taken advantage of the opportunity to benefit (from the situation)," Wang said at the conference, according to the ministry's statement.
China has insisted on keeping to its longstanding policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. But at the same time, it has tried to portray itself as a responsible major nation, pushing for dialogue to resolve global issues.
The Ukraine negotiations should restart as soon as possible to reduce losses on both sides, Wang told the conference.
"As long as there is still a glimmer of hope for peace, we will not give up," he said.