China remains "unshakably" committed to Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on July 24 after meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Guangzhou.
Kuleba and Wang spoke for over three hours, according to the Ukrainian delegation. The meeting marks Kuleba's first visit to China since the launch of Russia's full-scale war.
"China has unshakably reaffirmed its respect for the principle of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Kuleba said in a video post on Instagram.
"My Chinese colleague clearly said that he agrees that we need not the illusion of peace, but a just and sustainable peace."
Kuleba said that as long as China continues to uphold the dual principles of Ukrainian sovereignty and lasting peace, "we can have any kind of conversation and look for any kind of solution."
China has positioned itself as neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war but has simultaneously deepened economic ties with Moscow. It has also become Russia's leading source of dual-use goods, providing equipment the Russian defense industry can use in its attacks against Ukraine.
Speaking after the Guangzhou talks, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on July 24 that China promised not to supply Russia with weapons and signaled its support for Ukrainian sovereignty.
According to Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, Kuleba affirmed in the meeting that Kyiv is ready to hold peace negotiations when Moscow "is ready to negotiate in good faith."
The Chinese Foreign Ministry also acknowledged that "conditions and timing are not yet ripe" for ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, but said it is "willing to play a constructive role" in peace efforts.
Kuleba said that during the talks, he emphasized the importance of avoiding temporary solutions and ultimatums in future peace negotiations.
"Ukraine will never bend a single centimeter if anyone, regardless of where they come from, tries to speak to us in the language of ultimatums," he said.
Nate Ostiller
