China and Ukraine mull top-tier talks but Zelensky still cool on Beijing’s peace plan

Wang Yi and Ukraine’s new foreign minister Andrii Sybiha cross paths in New York, discussing trade and territorial integrity

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha (left) and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi have signalled the possibility of “highest-level” talks. Photo: Handout

Published: 8:02pm, 26 Sep 2024Updated: 8:29pm, 26 Sep 2024

The foreign ministers of China and Ukraine discussed the possibility of “highest-level” talks between their two countries, just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky again dismissed Beijing’s peace proposal.

On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York on Wednesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said he and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi discussed “the perspective of further contacts at the highest level”, indicating the potential for talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Zelensky.

While Xi has met Russian leader Vladimir Putin many times in the past two years, he has yet to speak to the Ukrainian president in person.

“[We] thanked China for supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. [We] focused on next steps to develop bilateral relations and trade [with China],” Sybiha said in a post on X.

According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Wang spelled out Beijing’s positions on the Ukraine war, saying it “advocates for a political solution through dialogue” and “is concerned about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine”.

“We are ready to maintain communication with all parties, including Ukraine, and to continue to do what China believes to be the right thing to achieve peace soon,” Wang said.