China officially declares itself a neutral party to Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine and has denied providing lethal aid to both sides, but Beijing and Moscow continue to develop closer ties, most recently with Russian President Vladimir Putin visiting his counterpart Xi Jinping in May.
Over the past week, several developments suggest that momentum might be building for peace talks in Ukraine. Firstly, Ukraine appears to have made significant concessions in negotiations with bondholders, indicating the prospect of a debt restructuring by September. This urgency only makes sense if there is an expectation that the
The president said Kyiv will start "detailed discussions with relevant countries" on territorial integrity and other issues, according to NHK.
Russia blamed the U.S. and U.K. for blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines connecting Russia and Germany in September 2022. Investigations have so far failed to find conclusive evidence, and both Denmark and Sweden dropped the case in February 2024. The German investigation is still ongoing.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said he "does not listen" to Ukraine's statements about peace talks, claiming recent comments from senior Kyiv officials have been contradictory.
"Many countries have proposed the idea of a ceasefire, but no one thinks about what it means. Some 25% of Ukrainian territory would remain under Russian control, which means buying time for Russia to strengthen its capabilities and resume its attacks on Ukraine," Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar said.
Key updates on July 25: * Russia will be forced to scale down its attacks in a month and a half, Ukrainian commander says * Kherson Oblast fortifications are 97% complete, Shmyhal says * Peace talks impossible without Russia, China at table, Czech president says * Romania confirms Russian drone debris landed on its
Peace negotiations on the war in Ukraine will be impossible without the participation of Russia and China, Czech President Petr Pavel told CTK in an interview published on July 25.
"My Chinese colleague clearly said that he agrees that we need not the illusion of peace, but a just and sustainable peace," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on July 24 during his visit to China.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is in China where the topic of how to end Russia's full-scale war has been top of the agenda.
"China has always been firmly committed to promoting a political solution to the crisis," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement regarding the talks.
The European Union must stay committed to its policy that any discussions about ending the war in Ukraine should be led by the government in Kyiv, according to Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel.
Key updates on July 23: * Ukraine confirms Russian ferry 'seriously damaged' in attack on Crimea * Ukraine shoots down another Russian Su-25 jet in Donetsk Oblast * 55% of Ukrainians oppose territorial concessions to achieve peace, poll finds * Ukraine and Moldova in talks about returning draft dodgers * Russian attacks against Ukraine injure
During the visit, Kyiv's chief diplomat and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi will discuss Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, China's role in achieving just and stable peace, and Ukrainian-Chinese relations, Kyiv's Foreign Ministry said on July 22.
When asked about a possible set of acceptable conditions for peace, the highest number of respondents (62%) said that a situation in which Ukraine regains all occupied territories and becomes a member of the EU but refuses to join NATO would have the broadest level of support.
Responding to a question about Kyiv's plans for a second peace summit, Borrell said he is certain that President Volodymyr Zelensky's "will to continue advancing on peace talks and to have another conference with Russia's attendance is real."
"If one person in the world, and this person is Donald Trump, can stop the war in 24 hours, the question is what price, and who will pay?" Zelensky said in an interview with BBC.
"How can we explain to the country that we need to give up pieces of our territory that cost the lives of thousands of our fighting heroes? Whatever move he makes, our president risks political suicide," he said.
Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised Republican nominee Donald Trump's chances to end the Russian war in Ukraine in a July 19 opinion for Daily Mail.
During an interview on state radio, Orban said that the EU needs to join China and the U.S. in light of potential Trump's return to power to press Russia and Ukraine to start peace negotiations, Bloomberg reported.
The world must exert pressure on Russia and force it to consider ending its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the BBC on July 18.
The global peace summit communique has reached 87 signatories so far, Swiss President Viola Amherd said on July 18 at the European Political Community Summit on July 18, attended by a Kyiv Independent reporter.
"So what we're doing with sanctions is we're forcing everyone away from us. So I don't love sanctions," Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that the EU should restore diplomatic relations with Russia, listing it as one of the conclusions of his supposed "peace mission," Bild reported on July 16, citing Orban's letter it had obtained.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban claimed that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump "has detailed and well-founded plans for (a peace plan)."
"In light of recent developments marking the start of the Hungarian Presidency, the President (Ursula von der Leyen) has decided that the European Commission will be represented at senior civil servant level only during informal meetings of the Council," said von der Leyen's spokesperson Eric Mamer.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban presented Budapest's proposal on how achieve peace in Ukraine in a letter sent to European leaders, a Hungarian government official said in an interview published on July 15.
At the same time, a majority of respondents were also opposed to the current ceasefire conditions laid out by Russian President Vladimir Putin, which would entail the complete Ukrainian withdrawal from the four regions that are partially occupied by Russia.
"We discussed ways to make peace. The good news of the day: he’s going to solve it," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wrote on X.
Kyiv said it aims to invite a Russian representative to the second conference to present a peace plan based on President Volodymyr Zelensky's peace formula and international input. No official invitation has been sent so far.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban summarized his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow while echoing the Kremlin's stances on its war against Ukraine in a letter obtained by Politico and published on July 9.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on July 5, just days after meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.
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