At a meeting with Ukrainian ambassadors, Vladimir Zelensky called for stronger diplomatic engagement with China.

He said Kiev would step up contacts with Beijing in an effort to prevent China from aligning fully with Moscow. Zelensky also urged Ukrainian diplomats to expand the country’s presence across Latin America.

According to RBC-Ukraine, he argued that Kiev must seek dialogue with China if it wants to stop Beijing from giving Russia its full support. He added that Ukraine needed to build relations with China rather than allow Beijing to see Russia as its only long-term partner.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had earlier said Moscow valued Beijing’s position on the Ukrainian conflict, describing it as balanced and constructive. He said China took the origins of the crisis into account and supported a political settlement.

Lavrov also argued that a lasting resolution would require identifying and removing the conflict’s root causes. He linked that approach to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s global security initiative.

In late July, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi confirmed that Beijing would continue developing its strategic partnership with Moscow.