China supports the "recent consensus" reached by U.S. and Russian officials regarding the war in Ukraine, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement published Feb. 21.
The statement came days after a U.S. delegation sat down with high-level Russian officials in Saudi Arabi on Feb. 18 to discuss ending the war against Ukraine — without the participation of Ukraine itself.
"China supports all efforts committed to peace, including the recent consensus reached by the United States and Russia, and hopes that all parties concerned can find a sustainable and lasting solution that takes into account each other's concerns," the ministry's statement read.
The statement echoed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's remarks at the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers meeting in Johannesburg on Feb. 20. Wang also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the G20 meeting.
Beijing is prepared "to play a constructive role in the political settlement of the crisis," the ministry said.
China has remained a key ally of Russia throughout the full-scale invasion, deepening economic ties and becoming Moscow's leading source of dual-use goods — equipment the Russian military uses in its war against Ukraine.
Despite these ties, China has insisted it is a neutral party to the war and has long positioned itself as a potential mediator in the conflict. Chinese officials have offered to host a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Feb. 13.
In recent days, the Trump administration has upended years of U.S. foreign policy towards Russia and Ukraine. Trump spoke to Putin directly in a phone call on Feb. 12, before calling President Volodymyr Zelensky later that day. Soon after, the U.S. and Russia held talks on Ukraine without Ukraine.
Along with ending Moscow's political isolation, Trump also began parroting Kremlin talking points in his public comments. He repeated false claims about Ukrainian elections and called Zelensky a "dictator" on social media.
Chris York
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