As Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its second year, Beijing is pushing harder for a negotiated end to the war. It has repeatedly suggested it would be willing to broker any cease-fire negotiations, a proposal Ukrainians are wary of because of China’s close ties with Moscow. “Dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis,” the 12-point position paper stated. “All efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis must be encouraged and supported.”
NPR
In the paper, Beijing pushed for talks as soon as possible and said nuclear weapons were off-limits – an idea Russia seems less committed to. Just this week Putin said he was suspending a nuclear arms control treaty with Washington.
But the Chinese position paper also took several digs at the West for its approach to the war. It says unilateral sanctions only create more problems, and it called for the abandonment of a so-called “cold war mentality”.