U.S. Institute of Peace

11/22/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/22/2024 13:43

China and Ukraine: Pulling Its Weight with Russia or Potemkin Peacemaker

On Thursday, China's ambassador, Ma Shengkun, presented his credentials at Ukraine's Foreign Ministry. Ma, a career diplomat with a background in arms control, replaces Fan Xianrong who had held the post for the past four and a half years. While a diplomatic reshuffle was due, the timing of the turnover and the selection of Ma, in tandem with other recent developments, suggest that China discerns a gradual gathering of momentum for a peace process or truce talks in coming months. In short, Beijing may be seeking to posture itself in anticipation of a new initiative to end - or at least pause - the war in Ukraine.