Kuleba Goes To China

A special assessment of the visit to Beijing this week by Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba.

Kuleba and Wang in February 2024. Source: Kyiv Independent

It is very important that Kyiv and Beijing have direct dialog and exchange of positions.

Dmytro Kuleba, Beijing, 23 July 2024

This week, the Ukrainian foreign minister is conducting his first visit to Beijing since the beginning of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The visit is slightly unusual for a couple of reasons.

First, China is Russia’s largest supporter in the war. It has provided Russia with an array of dual use items, increased its purchase of Russian energy, which then funds the war, and constantly amplifies Russian messaging and propaganda about the war. As I wrote in my recent assessment about China and how it benefits from the war in Ukraine:

Chinese strategists probably view the war in Ukraine as a net positive for the achievement of Chinese national security objectives. It is unlikely that Xi or his strategists have any sense of the moral tragedy of the war; Xi has shown no empathy for the Ukrainian people since Russia’s brutal attempt to subjugate the country commenced in 2022…the Chinese Communist Party and President Xi are probably comfortable with the war continuing for some time to come. They have more to gain from its continuance than its ending.

Second, it is also a little unusual because in June, President Zelenskyy called out China as an obstacle to the Ukraine Peace Summit when the Chinese refused to attend. At the time, he stated that “China, unfortunately...is working hard today for countries not to come to the peace summit." Zelenskyy also noted that the support being provided by China to Russia is prolonging the war against his nation.  

So when it was announced that the Ukrainian foreign minister would visit Beijing, it probably raised a few eyebrows in Washington DC, Brussels and a few other places. How might we view this visit and what might be the outcomes of his discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang and other Chinese officials?