MKsport also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, Feb. 20, 2025. Photo: VCG" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2025/2025-02-21/178adb5e-bbba-4c81-ab09-badcd7f3fee4.jpeg" />

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, Feb. 20, 2025. Photo: VCG

With renewed contact between the US and Russia, and recent talks between diplomats at a series of multilateral occasions, the prospect for a peace deal for the Ukraine crisis appears to be rising. Amid the recent subtle changes and new uncertainties in the relations between the Trump administration and Europe as well as Ukraine, Chinese diplomats are working hard to play a constructive role in the peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis.

According to a release by Xinhua on Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday called on G20 countries to act as a force for world peace and stability at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Johannesburg.

"First, we should work together as guardians of world peace," said Wang. All countries should respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as their independent choice of development path and social system, he stressed.

"We should resolve differences between countries peacefully through dialogue and negotiation, and resolve international and regional hotspot issues politically, without resorting to bloc confrontation or interfering in the internal affairs of other countries," he said.

When talking about the crisis in Ukraine, Wang said that the window for peace is opening, reiterating that China always stands for an early and peaceful resolution of the crisis and will continue to play a constructive role in its political settlement.

As high-level delegations from Russia and the US met on Tuesday in Riyadh to discuss the prospects for resolving the conflict in Ukraine and ways to break the impasse in bilateral relations, the Chinese top diplomat has also been brokering for peace and met with the foreign ministers of both Russia and Ukraine successively. 

According to Xinhua, Wang discussed China-Russia relations with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov Thursday on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Johannesburg, exchanging views and coordinating positions on international and regional issues of mutual concern.

On February 15, Wang Yi reaffirmed China's commitment to promoting peace while meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha in Munich, Germany. Wang said China supports all efforts dedicated to peace and expects a fair, lasting, and binding peace agreement accepted by all parties concerned, per Xinhua. 

Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times that China is not a party to the Ukraine crisis, but has always been a firm promoter of resolving the crisis through diplomatic means and peaceful consultation.

China's role in building bridges and promoting talks, which is welcomed by both Russia and Ukraine on the whole, has also been recognized and supported by a growing number of countries, Li said.

During a Thursday meeting with Wang Yi, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Turkiye appreciates China's just position on issues such as the Ukraine crisis and the Palestinian issue, and supports the six-point consensus jointly proposed by China and Brazil on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, Xinhua reported. 

Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud also told Wang on Thursday that Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to China's role as a major country with important influence, and hopes to find more feasible political solutions to hotspot issues with China's support.

Rising anxiety

Meanwhile, ice-breaking talks between US and Russian officials in Riyadh have aroused anxiety and concern in Europe and Kiev that Washington and Moscow could broker a peace deal with terms favorable to Russia, especially when considering President Trump's recent remarks blaming Kiev for the crisis. 

Despite rifts with the Trump administration, Ukrainian President Zelensky called for "strong" ties with Washington on Thursday, as he met US envoy Keith Kellogg, according to France 24. 

The Kyiv Independent reported that according to Zelensky, Ukraine is ready for a strong, beneficial agreement with the US "regarding investments and security." Earlier, the US government had urged President Zelensky to hand over access to Ukraine's critical minerals as compensation for tens of billions of dollars in US aid delivered under the Biden administration.

Western anxiety stems from Trump's substantial shift in its foreign policies and Europe's longstanding hostility toward Russia, said Zhang Hong, a research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

According to Reuters, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit Washington next week, amid other meetings aimed at bringing an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, citing US national security advisor Mike Waltz on Wednesday.

In the case of the Ukraine crisis, on the one hand, the military conflict has not stopped, but on the other hand, although the US-Russia talks didn't involve Europe and Ukraine, at least a pipeline of negotiations has been created, Li said.

However, the Ukraine crisis is not a simple technical issue, but a deep-seated and complex problem concerning Europe's security architecture, Li said.

Zhang believes the US administration seems eager to deal with the conflict, but could cause some unfavorable side effects, and the timing of peace will depend in large part on what the US does next with Europe and with Ukraine.

"China is pleased to see peace talks and a ceasefire, and does not want to see further losses from both sides," Zhang said, "China understands the concerns of all parties, including Europe and Ukraine… and Europe and Ukraine should not be marginalized in the peace talk process."

As indicated by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun on Tuesday, China welcomes all efforts dedicated to achieving peace, including the consensus on peace talks reached between the US and Russia. "At the same time, China looks forward to the timely participation of all relevant parties and stakeholders in the peace negotiation process," Guo noted.

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he was informed that Russian forces had crossed the border with Ukraine from the Kursk region, the TASS news agency reported.

Also on the day, the Times said that European military chiefs are considering a "reassurance" force for Kiev, which will include under 30,000 British and European troops positioned away from the front line in the east.

According to Li, judging from the current situation, the greatest possibility of a settlement of the Ukraine crisis is a freezing of hostilities, but it is difficult to fundamentally solve in the short term, which means all parties need to be prepared to spend a long time resolving the conflict.