Kuleba changes tune, now says Ukraine "willing and ready" to sit down with Russia
By ramontomeydw // 2024-07-26
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Ukraine appears to be singing a different tune, claiming that it is "willing and ready" to sit down with Russia, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. On July 24, Kuleba told top Chinese diplomats in Beijing that Kyiv is "willing and ready for dialogue and negotiations with Russia." According to Breitbart News, the Ukrainian official's remarks contrast with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's refusal to sit down with Moscow. Kuleba was in the Chinese capital for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other senior leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on both the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and trade relations between Kyiv and Beijing. Despite being Russia's closest geopolitical ally, China is Ukraine's largest trade partner. "I held detailed and thorough negotiations with my Chinese counterpart Wang about the path to peace. I emphasized that Ukraine needs a just and lasting peace, not just an illusion of peace, and I appreciate that this position was reciprocated," Kuleba wrote on social media. He added that he and Wang "agreed that all forces must work together to find common ground on the path to restoring true peace per the principles of the United Nations Charter." The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) meanwhile shared with reporters that Kuleba offered support for China's "reunification" efforts with Taiwan and that he celebrated the commercial ties between Ukraine and the CCP. "Foreign Minister Wang noted that China and Ukraine are friends to each other," said MFA spokeswoman Mao Ning. "Ukraine is one of the first countries to support and participate in [Belt and Road Initiative] cooperation. In recent years, China has remained Ukraine's largest trading partner and the largest exporter of agricultural products." "Ukraine is willing and ready to have dialogue and negotiation with Russia, [according to Kuleba]. And of course, negotiations should be rational, substantive and aimed at achieving just and lasting peace." (Related: Kuleba: Russia will eventually have to be involved in peace talks with Ukraine.)

Biden's withdrawal forced Ukraine to talk with Russia, Global Times claims

The Ukrainian state news outlet Ukrinform reproduced Kuleba's "willing and ready" remark, apparently confirming its accuracy. However, Chinese state-run tabloid Global Times claimed that Ukraine's about-face stemmed from U.S. President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race. "Following Biden's withdrawal, … it's widely believed that Washington's stance on the Ukraine crisis may change," the CCP mouthpiece wrote. It cited a "scholar" who suggested that former President Donald Trump's promise to immediately resolve the Russia-Ukraine war worries Kyiv, prompting the latter to consider peace talks with Russia. Zelensky himself has denied concerns about Trump's potential return to the White House. He told Bloomberg News in an interview this month: "If Trump becomes president, we will work. I am not afraid of that." Trump and Zelensky spoke for the first time in years, shortly before Biden dropped out of the race on July 21. The comedian-turned-president expressed gratitude toward the real estate mogul for the conversation, hinting at a future in-person meeting. "Ukraine will always be grateful to the U.S. for its help in strengthening our ability to resist Russian terror. Russian attacks on our cities and villages continue every day," Zelensky said in a statement posted on social media. "We agreed … to discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting." According to Breitbart News, Biden's policies toward the Russia-Ukraine war have been highly favorable to Kyiv, offering expansive financial and military aid with seemingly no end in sight. This led Trump to question the policy, even joking that Zelensky is "maybe the greatest salesman of any politician that's ever lived." According to the former U.S. president, this is because "every time he comes to our country, he walks away with $60 billion." Head over to WWIII.news for more stories about the Russia-Ukraine war and efforts to resolve it. Watch this clip from InfoWars about Russian President Vladimir Putin believing that Trump is sincere about ending the war in Ukraine. This video is from the Rick Langley channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Xi to Zelensky: China will work to mediate PEACE. Zelensky: Russia SHOULD ATTEND the next Ukraine peace summit. Trump: COMPROMISE with Russia could have helped Ukraine avoid war. Putin reportedly willing to end war with Ukraine, sit down for PEACE TALKS. Putin ready to end conflict with Ukraine if Russia gets to keep territories it currently controls. Sources include: Breitbart.com Brighteon.com
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