At a G20 meeting in South Africa on Thursday, China expressed support for U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Meanwhile, Washington’s allies reaffirmed their backing for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Less than a month into his presidency, Trump has dramatically shifted U.S. policy on the war, moving away from efforts to isolate Moscow. This change follows a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and high-level discussions between U.S. and Russian officials, which have notably sidelined Ukraine in the negotiation process.
“China supports all initiatives that promote peace in Ukraine, including the recent consensus between the United States and Russia,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his G20 counterparts in Johannesburg, according to a statement from his ministry. He added that Beijing is willing to play a “constructive role” in resolving the conflict. However, unlike his remarks at the Munich Security Conference, Wang did not emphasize the necessity of involving all parties in peace talks.
“If China participates in mediation, it can mitigate the risk of the United States leveraging improved relations with Russia to undermine China’s interests,” Wang stated.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced plans for further discussions with Russia following a 4.5-hour meeting in Saudi Arabia. Russia acknowledged the talks as productive but maintained firm demands, particularly its opposition to Ukraine joining NATO.
