No Ukraine peace talks have been held since the early months of the conflict, now approaching its third anniversary. Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, oversaw billions of dollars of military and other aid to Kyiv and had no direct contact with Putin after Russia’s invasion.
Russia occupies about one-fifth of Ukraine and has demanded Kyiv cede more territory and be rendered permanently neutral under any peace deal.
Ukraine demands Russia withdraw from captured territory and says Kyiv must receive NATO membership or equivalent security guarantees to prevent Moscow from attacking again.
China has been repeatedly urged by the West to use its close relationship with Russia to help end the war. Beijing has said it was not a party to the crisis but that it had been consistently promoting peace talks on its own terms.
In a peace plan last year, China, jointly with Brazil, proposed an international peace conference “at a proper time” and called for equal participation by both Ukraine and Russia.
