"Not just peace for peace's sake": the US says what role China can play in ending the war in Ukraine

The United States hopes that China can play a major role in ending the war that Russia is waging against Ukraine. However, it can only be about achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

This was stated by US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller at a briefing on Tuesday, July 16, Ukrinform reports. At the same time, according to the representative of the US Foreign Ministry, Washington cannot predict where the friendship between Russia and China will go.

"We have seen the deepening of relations between China and Russia, and this concerns not only the restoration of the Russian military-industrial base. It also refers to Beijing's attempts to be Russia's main strategic partner," Miller said.

He recalled that on May 16, 2024, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin came to Beijing to strengthen his friendship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Before that, the Chinese leader had been in Moscow at Putin's invitation.

"So I can't speculate on where this will go from here," Miller said.

The State Department spokesman added that Washington has hinted in its dialog with China that Beijing could play a productive role in ending the war. However, he said, it should be a role "that recognizes who is the aggressor and who is the victim."

And this, according to Miller, should not be just about achieving peace for peace's sake, but about establishing a "just and lasting" peace for the Ukrainian state.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that China could play a "huge role" in ending the war waged by Russia, as Moscow depends on its export market. The United States and China, if they put aside their differences, could successfully work together in this direction.

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