10 May 2023

U.S. and Allies Look at Potential China Role in Ending Ukraine War

Bojan Pancevski and Laurence Norman in Berlin and Vivian Salama

China’s Global Peacemaker Ambitions Put It in Competition With U.S.Play video: China’s Global Peacemaker Ambitions Put It in Competition With U.S. Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, signaling China’s desire to become a global power broker. WSJ’s Austin Ramzy explains how Beijing’s peacemaking efforts could challenge the U.S. Photo Composite: Diana Chan

Some U.S. and European officials said they believe that Ukraine’s planned spring offensive could pave the way for negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow by the end of the year, and that China could help bring Russia to the table.

The willingness to encourage negotiations and seek out a role for China in talks represents a shift in Western thinking, particularly in the U.S., which has been highly skeptical of any involvement for Beijing given China’s longstanding support for Moscow. Secretary of State Antony Blinken publicly expressed cautious optimism recently that Beijing could help defuse the conflict.

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