Kuleba lands in China, urges 'direct' peace talk discussions with Beijing.

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Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba landed in China on July 23 and said it was "very important" the two countries have "direct" talks about how to end Russia's full-scale invasion. "It is very important that Kyiv and Beijing engage in direct dialogue and an exchange of positions," he said in a post on Instagram. During the visit, Kyiv's chief diplomat and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi will discuss Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, China's role in achieving just and stable peace, and Ukrainian-Chinese relations, Kyiv's Foreign Ministry said on July 22.

It is Kuleba's first trip to China since the outbreak of the full-scale war. He and Wang previously met in February at the Munich Security Conference in Germany. In his post on Instagram, Kuleba said he would hold "extensive, detailed, substantive talks" with Wang on how to achieve a "just peace." China has positioned itself as neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war but has simultaneously deepened economic ties with Moscow and backed the country against Western sanctions.

It has also shaped up to be Russia's leading source of dual-use goods that feed the Russian defense industry. Kyiv has repeatedly appealed to China to use its sway over Moscow to help bring an end to the war, but these efforts have been largely unsuccessful as the East Asian country snubbed the June global peace summit in Switzerland. President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted China over supposedly trying to sabotage the summit efforts, drawing rebuke from Beijing. China proposed its own alternative peace plan, which would include a conference recognized by both Kyiv and Moscow.

Ukraine's Ambassador to Singapore, Kateryna Zelenko, said in June that Kyiv would consider attending if the talks are based on the principles of the "U.N. Charter and international law."

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