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Ukraine will not accept any peace proposals that involve the freezing of the conflict or ceding of territories, its foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba told Li Hui, China’s Special Envoy to Russia and Ukraine.

Li was in Kyiv from May 16 to 17 to discuss a “political settlement” to Russia’s invasion.

It was the first visit by a senior Chinese representative to the country since the start of the war, according to AFP.

Respecting sovereignty & territorial integrity

A statement from Ukraine’s foreign ministry said that Kuleba had briefed Li “on the principles of restoring a sustainable and just peace based on respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The Ukrainian foreign minister emphasised that the country “does not accept any proposals that would involve the loss of its territories or a freeze of the conflict”.

Kuleba pointed out that China’s participation in Ukrainian President’s Volodymyr Zelensky peace plan, the Black Sea grain deal which will be extended, as well as in other international efforts was crucial.

Ahead of the meeting, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen similarly said that Ukraine's peace plan was to be the foundation of the conflict’s resolution.

China as a peace broker

Besides meeting Kuleba, Li also met with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials, according to a statement by China’s Foreign Ministry cited by CNN.

“There is no panacea in resolving the crisis”, the envoy said.

He highlighted China’s willingness to act as a peace broker for the crisis and called for mutual trust among all parties to create conditions to end the war.

Li noted China was prepared to “work for the broadest common understanding in the international community in the resolution to the Ukraine crisis,” according to CGTN, the English-language arm of China's state broadcaster CCTV.

The country would put in effort to “secure a ceasefire” and restore peace, as well as continue providing aid to Ukraine, he remarked.

This was in line with China's 12-point peace proposal released in February 2023 that called for the cessation of hostilities and resumption of peace talks.

Li will be heading to Poland, France, Germany and Russia to get other parties involved in the crisis' political settlement, CGTN reported.

Diplomatic engagements

Li’s visit to Ukraine comes after China's president Xi Jinping spoke to Zelensky in April 2023 over the phone for the first time since the war began.

It also comes right before the Group of Seven (G7) meeting taking place in Japan from May 19, during which leaders are expected to reiterate their position against the Russian invasion, according to CNN.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is in its 15th month, with the latest development being Russia reportedly launching “unprecedented” air attacks on Kyiv.

China has adopted a neutral stance to the war, refusing to condemn Russia or describing its aggression on Ukraine as an "invasion".

It also engaged with Russia diplomatically at the highest levels, with Xi visiting Russia in March 2023 after its most senior diplomat Wang Yi visited the country a month earlier.

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Top image via China's Foreign Ministry