Ultimate destination for conflict is negotiating table

All efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of Russia-Ukraine crisis must be supported, Zhang Hanhui, China's Ambassador to Russia, said in a recent media interview.

In a written response to Russian newspaper Izvestia that was published recently, the top Chinese envoy to Russia said China's position on the Ukraine issue has been consistent, clear, and unequivocal. He said the position calls for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries to be respected, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter to be fully observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries to be taken seriously, and for all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of crises to be supported.

"This is China's authoritative official stance and fundamental guideline on the Ukraine issue," said Zhang, who also expressed China's support for direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, Turkiye, expressing hope that all parties can reach a fair, lasting, binding, and mutually acceptable peace agreement through dialogue and negotiation.

China is ready to work with the international community to continue playing a constructive role in ultimately resolving the crisis and achieving enduring peace, the ambassador added.

He also talked about the shuttle diplomacy conducted by Li Hui, China's special representative for Eurasian affairs, which is aimed at "ceasing hostilities and promoting talks for peace", as well as the tireless efforts of the "Group of Friends of Peace in Ukraine", a joint initiative by China and Brazil aimed at building a consensus and creating conditions for resolving the crisis.

When asked whether China would consider sending peacekeeping forces to Ukraine, Zhang said China is neither a party to the Russia-Ukraine crisis nor its originator and is not involved in discussions regarding deploying peacekeeping troops. He stated that China believes the deployment of peacekeeping forces must follow three basic principles: consent of the country involved, impartiality, and non-use of force except for self-defense.

"Currently, significant differences remain among relevant parties on post-war peacekeeping, hostilities show no sign of abating, and casualties continue to rise. China calls on all relevant parties to promote further de-escalation and create favorable conditions for dialogue, and open a window of opportunity for peace," said Zhang.

He stressed that the roots of the crisis are complex, and that, just as "Rome wasn't built in a day", resolving it will not happen overnight.

"The ultimate destination for any conflict is the negotiating table," he said.

The ongoing direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, where consensus has been reached on issues including prisoner exchanges, constitute an important step, creating favorable conditions for establishing peace.

"China calls on the parties to the conflict to demonstrate a will for peace talks, and on other stakeholders to provide conductive external conditions for negotiation, jointly maintain the momentum for peace talks, and ultimately achieve a political settlement. China looks forward to an early return of peace and stability to the European continent and is willing to continue playing a constructive role toward this end," said Zhang.