Progress toward political solution of Ukraine crisis requires flexibility and compromise: China Daily editorial

While it does not guarantee peace, that negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the United States are meeting in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, for talks has raised expectations that some progress might be made toward securing a political resolution to the Ukraine crisis.

File photo: China Daily

The two days of talks, which began on Tuesday, provide a forum where the thorny issues behind the crisis can be discussed and the prospects of peace can be explored. And there is a common expectation of the world that they can bear some fruit as last month's humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky, Ukraine's Kherson region, has held firm.

Since its outbreak in 2022, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has veered into a protracted stalemate of attrition, exhausting both sides. But neither side has been able to secure a battlefield victory.

With the death toll continuing to rise on both sides and battle fatigue settling in, it is only natural that the two belligerents should become increasingly open to negotiations. At the same time, significant changes have occurred among Ukraine's backers: Notably, Washington has started exerting pressure on Kyiv to make concessions in order to expedite the resolution of the conflict, with US envoy Jared Kushner saying on Monday that the US was "working hard to find a negotiated solution that can deliver lasting peace and create the conditions for a sovereign, secure and prosperous Ukraine".

US officials underlined that posture on Monday, saying that the talks are a new starting point in defining an end to the conflict, including discussions on security guarantees and a "postwar security architecture".

But for the trilateral talks to make headway, it will be necessary for the two belligerents to demonstrate diplomatic flexibility, patience and the courage to make concessions. Due to the complexity of the crisis, it is not easy for Russia and Ukraine to find common ground. The key chasm over territorial concessions and security guarantees remains unbridged, with Russia demanding Ukraine's neutral, non-NATO status, and Kyiv insisting on binding Western defense commitments to ensure its future safety.

If both sides are unwilling to find a compromise on their territorial and security objectives, the path to peace will remain elusive.

As a country that has persistently advocated a peaceful resolution, China has been steadfast in its efforts to promote dialogue, and Sun Lei, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, called on the parties concerned to meet each other halfway to secure a political settlement of the crisis.

Since a peace agreement that overlooks the human toll of conflict will not endure, China calls on the parties to put people's lives first, exercise calm and restraint, and effectively protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, especially women, children, and other victims of the conflict. At the same time, humanitarian relief efforts should be intensified to help those affected by the crisis overcome their hardships, Sun said.

The Abu Dhabi talks can be a beginning, but they will not be the end. The differences between the two sides on territory, security guarantees and sanctions remain wide. But as long as the conflicting parties are talking, there is hope that these differences can be narrowed. The international community should do everything it can to sustain this momentum, and do nothing to undermine it.

China, on its part, will continue to make unremitting efforts to bring about a ceasefire, end hostilities and achieve lasting peace and stability in the region. All efforts toward peace should be supported, with a mindful eye on the broader context of regional and global stability.