Reach out to Beijing: Ukraine seeks to improve relations with China – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ukrainian diplomats are making efforts to improve official relations with Beijing, and above all its position regarding Russian aggression, but communication between officials remains difficult at the moment. This was expressed in an interview with Ukrayinska Pravda by Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk on February 22.

Melnyk especially drew attention to the first meeting of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi in Munich.

“Unfortunately, communication has been and remains very difficult at the highest level, at the leadership level. Both the government and the president and our entire diplomatic service have already tried to find the key to the state before and during the war. This is important to us,” admitted Melnik.

The diplomat believes that the purpose of the dialogue with Beijing is to achieve a more positive position of the PRC in the Russia-Ukraine war. Melnyk stated that Beijing will not only stick to the neutrality that the Ukrainian side appreciates in principle.

“We do not lose hope of reaching both the mind and heart of the Chinese leadership to exclude any alliance with Putin’s Russia,” the deputy minister said.

The diplomat also commented on relations with China in a more global sense. He did not rule out that Beijing could unite with Moscow and oppose the collective West.

“Nothing can be ignored. It is our duty and our allies to find such arguments and means of influence on Beijing in a positive way so that it does not happen, because if such decisions are made, it does not promise us anything good,” stressed Melnik.

Recall that China presented its own version of the peace plan to Kiev to resolve the situation in Ukraine. In this regard, on February 21, Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said that Ukraine will carefully study all the details of the document and come to a conclusion.