China’s envoy for Eurasian affairs Li Hui said peace between Ukraine and Russia is still possible. Speaking at a news conference in Beijing after his tour of Europe, which included Moscow and Kiev, he said that while there were “many difficulties,” the two countries were “not completely without consensus.”

China has been advocating “peace and talks” for some time, but often advocates solutions that suit Russia in particular. President Xi Jinping has yet to criticize Russia for imperially invading another country, something the Chinese Communist Party usually views as a serious crime. Moreover, Chinese state television does not blame Russia for the invasion, but rather the West.

Lee does not appear to base his belief in the peace talks on concrete evidence. For example, the Russians are said to have told him that they were “never opposed to peace talks”. Ukraine has just told me that it “cherishes and desires peace.” “I feel that the two sides have not closed the door to peace talks,” he told me.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba made it clear to me two weeks ago that Ukraine would not accept a peace deal if it involved the loss of territory.

Pippin Long