China has volunteered to mediate ceasefire talks between Ukraine and Russia, in one of its most forceful statements on the war to date.
‘Ukraine is eager to deepen communications with China and looks forward to China playing a role in realizing a ceasefire,’ Beijing said in a statement yesterday.
The Chinese government has stated that they are “very concerned” about civilian casualties as a result of the battle.
According to Chinese official broadcaster CCTV, this comes after Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, in which he urged the two countries to ‘find a method to address the matter through discussions.’
Wang is also alleged to be expressing his “great sadness” that a conflict has erupted between Ukraine and Russia, and that he is paying “special attention” to civilian casualties.
Meanwhile, Kuleba said Wang informed him that China is “willing to go to any length to terminate the war on Ukrainian land through diplomacy, including as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.”
China has taken a neutral posture in the Ukraine war, refusing to condemn Russia’s actions directly and refusing to call the military operation an invasion.