Ukraine war: Beijing assures Kyiv that China supports peace talks
- Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks with Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba for a second time since the Russian invasion
- The call, which includes Beijing’s thanks for keeping Chinese civilians safe, comes as international outrage grows over possible Russian war crimes in Bucha
In their second phone call since Russia invaded Ukraine, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on Monday that Beijing continues to support peace talks and aims to play a constructive role.
According to a Chinese readout of the call, Wang said that Ukraine has “enough wisdom to make its own choices” regarding the conflict, without elaborating what that meant.
Wang also reiterated Beijing’s gratitude to Ukraine for keeping Chinese civilians safe, and expressed hopes for Ukraine’s development, European peace and cooperation between China and the European Union.
The call took place amid growing international outrage against Russia as evidence mounts of potential war crimes committed in Ukraine, including footage over the weekend of dead civilians scattered across the streets of the Kyiv suburb of Bucha.
US President Joe Biden urged an international criminal investigation be launched into Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Russian troops accused of war crimes after mass graves found in Bucha near Ukrainian capital
“This guy is brutal, and what’s happening in Bucha is outrageous and everyone’s seen it,” Biden said on Monday, a day after video and still images revealed the town’s streets littered with dead bodies.
