Lack of trust is the main obstacle to resolving the war in Ukraine, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. He spoke at a joint press conference in Sofia with his Bulgarian counterpart.
“Trust is the cornerstone of peace. Resolving conflicts requires trust, and building trust requires communication“, Wang Yi said.
According to him, the same problem applies to both the crisis in Ukraine and the conflicts in the Middle East. The Chinese minister stressed that dialogue, consultation, mutual understanding and compromise are necessary to reach an agreement.
Beijing's position
Wang Yi said that China defines itself as a responsible major country and will continue to work for peace. He pointed out that during the ASIS summit in Baku, he spoke separately with the leaders of Israel and Palestine, met with representatives of other Middle Eastern countries, and listened to the positions of Balkan leaders on the crisis in Ukraine.
“China's clear message to all parties is: firm confidence, persistence, dialogue and consultation, mutual understanding and compromise, restoring trust, and jointly building peace“, said the Chinese foreign minister.
He added that Beijing will continue to play its role in resolving crises and conflicts and in overcoming the “trust deficit“.
New signals for negotiations
Wang Yi's statement was made against the backdrop of new diplomatic contacts over the war in Ukraine. After meeting with a US delegation led by US President's special envoy Steve Witkoff, Volodymyr Zelensky said a trilateral meeting with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin was needed.
The Ukrainian president said that Russia must make a decision to stop the killings. Meanwhile, Witkoff and Jared Kushner are due to meet with Putin in St. Petersburg.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow was ready to listen to US proposals but did not intend to make political concessions.
According to Politico, Witkoff will offer Putin direct talks with Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre also said that the US envoy would present proposals for the terms of a peace settlement, including the idea of a trilateral meeting.
Sources: unian.net