'We support all efforts' toward peace in Ukraine — China reacts to Kyiv, Europe's call for 30-day ceasefire
Beijing supports all efforts toward achieving a lasting peace in Ukraine, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on May 12 when asked about Kyiv and Europe's proposal for a 30-day truce.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and leaders of the U.K., France, Germany, and Poland have called for an unconditional ceasefire starting on May 12 as the necessary first step toward peace talks with Russia.
"We support all efforts conducive to peace and hope that relevant sides can continue to seek a fair, lasting, and binding peace agreement acceptable to all parties concerned," Lin said in response to a journalist, without commenting further on any specific ceasefire proposal.
The Kremlin has rejected the 30-day ceasefire proposal and instead called upon Ukraine to launch direct peace talks later this week. Zelensky retorted by inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin for a meeting in Turkey on May 15, while continuing to stress the need for a ceasefire.
Lin said that China "stands ready" to play its role in efforts to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine.
While China has claimed neutrality and positioned itself as a potential mediator in the war, it has simultaneously criticized the U.S. and its allies for "exacerbating" the war by supplying weapons to Ukraine. NATO has labeled China a "decisive enabler" of Russia's aggression.
Zelensky claimed on April 17 that China is supplying weapons to the Russian military, marking Kyiv's first confirmation that Beijing supports Russia's war effort by direct arms supplies.
Ukraine's military also captured two Chinese nationals fighting for Russia in Ukraine, claiming that hundreds more are serving in the Russian Armed Forces.
