Beijing, October 17, 2025 – In a rare show of diplomatic optimism amid escalating global tensions, China expressed support on Friday for ongoing dialogue between the United States and Russia aimed at resolving the protracted war in Ukraine, now entering its fourth year. The statement from Beijing highlights a potential thaw in superpower relations, even as the conflict continues to strain international alliances and energy markets.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian conveyed China's position during a routine press briefing in the capital, emphasizing Beijing's commitment to de-escalation. "China supports all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis," Lin stated, responding to queries about recent high-level contacts between Washington and Moscow. He added that Beijing was "glad to see Russia and the US keep in contact, improve their relations, and advance the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis."
Lin's remarks come at a pivotal moment, as US President Donald Trump announced plans for a face-to-face summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hungary within the next two weeks. The proposed meeting, which would mark the second in-person encounter between the two leaders since their August gathering in Alaska, underscores Trump's aggressive push for direct negotiations to end the war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The Ukraine conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions, and triggered widespread economic fallout, including soaring energy prices and disruptions to global food supplies. Despite multiple rounds of international mediation, including failed ceasefire talks in Istanbul and Geneva, the fighting persists along a 1,000-kilometer front line, with recent escalations involving drone strikes on civilian infrastructure in Kyiv and Kharkiv.
Trump's diplomatic overture follows a bilateral phone call with Putin on Thursday, described by the US president as "very good" and productive. During the call, the leaders reportedly discussed pathways to a negotiated peace, with Trump emphasizing the need to address Russia's security concerns in Eastern Europe while safeguarding Ukraine's sovereignty.
In a briefing to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump revealed that preparations for the summit are already underway. "Maybe it’s already set up. They’ve already spoken," he said, referring to the anticipated discussions. To facilitate logistics, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov next week, where they will finalize the exact timing and venue. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a vocal advocate for dialogue with Russia and a key NATO outlier, has offered to host the summit in Budapest, positioning his country as a neutral ground for the talks.
Trump's schedule underscores the delicate balancing act facing the US administration. On Friday, he is set to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House for a separate meeting, where he plans to brief the Ukrainian leader on the details of his conversation with Putin. "We have a problem. They don’t get along too well, those two, and it’s sometimes tough to have meetings," Trump quipped, alluding to the frosty relations between Zelenskyy and Putin. "So, we may do something where we’re separate, but separate but equal."
Zelenskyy's visit comes amid growing frustration in Kyiv over the pace of Western military aid. Ukraine has received over $100 billion in assistance from the US and its allies since the invasion, including advanced weaponry like HIMARS rocket systems and F-16 fighter jets. However, delays in deliveries and shifting US priorities under Trump's second term have fueled concerns that Washington might prioritize a quick deal over Ukraine's long-term security guarantees.
The announcement of the Trump-Putin summit has elicited mixed reactions globally. European leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, welcomed the prospect of talks but cautioned that any agreement must include Ukraine's full participation to avoid a "Minsk-style" betrayal, referencing the 2014-2015 accords that failed to halt the fighting. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reiterated the alliance's unwavering support for Kyiv, stating that "diplomacy must be backed by deterrence."
In Moscow, the Kremlin struck a cautious tone. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the phone call but declined to elaborate on specifics, saying only that Russia remains open to "serious proposals" that respect its "red lines," including the status of annexed territories like Crimea and the Donbas region. Russian state media portrayed the outreach as a validation of Putin's strategy of attrition, with commentators on Rossiya-1 hailing it as a sign of Western fatigue.
China's endorsement adds a layer of complexity, given Beijing's deepening economic ties with Russia. Since the invasion, trade between the two nations has surged by over 60%, reaching $240 billion in 2024, driven largely by discounted Russian oil and gas imports that have helped Moscow evade Western sanctions. The US has intensified pressure on major buyers like China and India to reduce their purchases of Russian crude, imposing secondary tariffs and export controls on dual-use technologies.
Beijing has firmly rebuffed these efforts. In a statement last month, Vice Premier He Lifeng warned that any unilateral measures harming China's interests would prompt "resolute countermeasures," including potential retaliatory tariffs on US agricultural goods. Analysts suggest this stance reflects not only economic pragmatism but also Beijing's broader geopolitical calculus: positioning itself as a mediator in global conflicts to counter US influence.
"China's gladness is strategic," said Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center in Washington. "By supporting US-Russia talks, Beijing avoids direct involvement while signaling to the West that it favors stability over confrontation. It's a low-cost way to burnish its image as a responsible power."
The Ukraine war's ripple effects continue to reverberate. On the energy front, Russia's pivot to Asia has stabilized its export revenues, with China now the top importer of Siberian crude via the Power of Siberia pipeline. However, this has exacerbated tensions in the South China Sea, where US naval patrols have increased amid fears of a broader Sino-Russian axis.
Domestically, the conflict has bolstered Putin's grip on power, with approval ratings hovering above 80% according to independent polls, though dissent simmers among urban elites weary of mobilization drafts and economic isolation. In the US, Trump's initiative polls well among his base but draws fire from hawks in Congress, who accuse him of appeasement. A bipartisan group of senators, led by Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), introduced legislation this week to codify sanctions on Russian energy exports, explicitly targeting third-party enablers like China.
As the world watches the unfolding diplomacy, the stakes could not be higher. A successful Trump-Putin summit might pave the way for a frozen conflict or territorial concessions, reshaping Europe's security architecture. Failure, however, risks further escalation, potentially drawing in nuclear-armed powers and testing the limits of global interdependence.
For now, China's measured welcome offers a sliver of hope that dialogue, however fraught, remains the least bad path forward. As Lin Jian concluded his briefing, "Peace is the common aspiration of the international community. We urge all parties to exercise restraint and work toward a just solution."
