China and Russia Take Steps to End Conflict in Ukraine, Chinese President Xi Jinping Announces Envoy Visit to Discuss Political Settlement

Russia and China have both taken steps to end the conflict in Ukraine, with China’s President Xi Jinping announcing Wednesday that Beijing will send an envoy to Ukraine to discuss a possible “political settlement.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also praised a framework introduced by China and Brazil, which proposed an end to the conflict.

During a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela, Lavrov said Tuesday that the proposals from China and Brazil are “very useful” and can help to share ideas and resolve problems. He explained that the West would not accept the so-called “peace proposal” that would see the Crimean Peninsula fully integrated into the Russian Federation.

On Wednesday, Xi told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a phone call that a Chinese envoy would visit Ukraine and “other countries” to discuss a possible political settlement, according to a government statement reported by Chinese state TV. This is the first time Beijing has become involved in a conflict between other countries, though it did arrange talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran in March that led to them restoring diplomatic relations after a seven-year break.

The conflict in Ukraine has been ongoing since 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula. Since then, Ukraine has repeatedly called for peace in the conflict. It is unclear what the Chinese envoy’s visit will entail, though it is hoped that it will help to bring an end to the conflict.