BEIJING: Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said Tuesday it was “important” for Ukraine and China – an ally of Russia – to speak directly about plans to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

“It is very important that Kyiv and Beijing engage in direct dialogue and an exchange of positions,” Kuleba said in a video posted on social media after arriving in Beijing.

Kuleba’s visit to China, lasting until Friday, is his first since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and the first by any senior Ukrainian official since the conflict broke out, he said.

Ukraine’s top diplomat to visit China this week to talk peace, Kyiv says

China presents itself as a neutral party in the war in Ukraine and says it is not sending lethal assistance to either side, unlike the United States and other Western nations.

“Ahead are extensive, detailed, substantive talks with (my) Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on ways to a just peace,” Kuleba added.

Beijing has rebuffed claims it is supporting Russia’s war effort, insisting its position is “open and above board” while accusing the West of fuelling the conflict through arms shipments to Kyiv.