Moscow says Russia, China agree that Russia must be present in Ukraine talks

Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Yurievich Galuzin speaks during an interview with Reuters, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, at the embassy in Tokyo, Japan, March 17, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo

(Reuters) – Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin and China’s special representative for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui, said it is impossible to discuss a Ukraine settlement without Moscow’s participation, the Russian foreign ministry said on Sunday.

Chinese Special Envoy for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui gives a press briefing, in Beijing, China, June 2, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo

The Chinese envoy met with Galuzin during his second trip to Europe promoting a political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, a tour that will also include Poland, Ukraine and Germany.

“A very engaged and thorough exchange of views took place on the topic of the Ukrainian crisis,” the Russian foreign ministry said in the statement posted on its website.

“It was stated that any discussion of a political and diplomatic settlement is impossible without the participation of Russia and taking into account its interests in the security sphere.”

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, calling it a “special military operation” to “denazify” its neighbour.

Kyiv and its Western allies call the war, which two years later continues to kill civilians nearly on daily basis, an unprovoked land grab.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Matthew Lewis)