Russian FM: Russia, China agree on need for Moscow to participate in Ukrainian talks

Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs Li Hui speaks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (not pictured) at the Russian Foreign Ministry headquarters in Moscow, Russia on May 26, 2023. (Russian Foreign Ministry/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The political and diplomatic settlements are impossible without Moscow’s involvement in Ukrainian talks, the Russian foreign ministry said on March 3 after the meeting of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin and China’s special representative for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui.

Hui met Galuzin during the Chinese envoy’s tour to Europe in order to promote a political settlement of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Visiting Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany, and the EU’s headquarters in Brussels is also on Hui’s list.

According to the Russian foreign ministry, the sides agreed that “the settlements will not be reached without Moscow’s participation and considering its interests in the security sphere.”

“Kyiv’s and West’s ultimatum demands to Russia and related to them ‘dialog formats’ only harm the perspectives of the settlement and could not serve as its basis,” the Russian foreign ministry’s readout said.

China’s foreign ministry stressed in its readout after the meeting that China is ready “to continue its efforts to promote peace talks, mediate and build consensus among Russia, Ukraine and other relevant parties.”

China has built close ties with Russia and has not denounced its war against Ukraine nor joined international sanctions.

Although Beijing has not publicly provided direct military support to the Kremlin, Western intelligence suggested that China has been supplying Russia with large amounts of dual-use goods with military applications.

Despite political differences, the EU and the U.S. have repeatedly appealed to China to use its influence on Moscow to bring an end to the Ukraine invasion.