UPDATE - Chinese envoy meets Ukrainian president

ADDS STATEMENT FROM UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY

By Riyaz ul Khaliq and Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) — China's Eurasian affairs envoy Li Hui held a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Beijing said on Thursday.

"The two sides exchanged views on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, and China-Ukraine relations," a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

Li, who was picked by Chinese President Xi Jinping last month as the special envoy on Ukraine, paid a two-day visit to Kyiv that ended Wednesday.

The statement said Li also met with other senior Ukrainian officials, including Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

An earlier statement by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said Kuleba and Li discussed topical issues between Kyiv and Beijing, both at the bilateral level and within the framework of international organizations.

The statement said Kuleba spoke to Li about "the principles of restoring a stable and just peace based on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine."

"He emphasized that Ukraine does not accept any proposals that would involve the loss of its territories or the freezing of the conflict," the statement further said.

Ukraine has emphasized Russia's withdrawal from its territories as a precondition for peace talks with Moscow.

Kuleba also underlined the importance of Chinese involvement in implementing a peace plan proposed by Zelenskyy during a recent G-20 summit in Indonesia.​​​​​​​

China's role in guaranteeing nuclear safety, as well as in other important international efforts including a Black Sea grain deal that allows Ukrainian food exports to other countries, was also on the agenda, the statement said.

"The parties separately discussed the long-term prospects for the development of bilateral relations between Ukraine and China and agreed to increase dialogue on key issues of the bilateral and international agenda," it added.

Li also held talks with officials from Ukrainian ministries of infrastructure, energy, and defense.

Referring to China’s “position on the political solution to the Ukrainian crisis,” Li said: “There is no panacea to resolve the crisis.”

“All parties need to start from themselves, accumulate mutual trust, and create conditions for ending the war and peace talks,” Li told Ukrainian officials, the statement said.

“China is willing to promote the international community to form the greatest common denominator for resolving the Ukrainian crisis, and make its own efforts to stop the war, to cease fire, and restore peace as soon as possible,” Li added.

The Ukrainian side “welcomed China to play an active role in ending the war and restoring peace,” the statement also noted.

It said Kyiv assured the Chinese envoy of its adherence to the one-China principle.

The appointment of Li as the special envoy on Ukraine came after Xi held his first phone call with Zelenskyy last month since the Moscow-Kyiv war began in February 2022.

Besides Ukraine, Li will visit Poland, France, Germany, and Russia toward finding a solution to the Ukraine crisis.