"China hopes all relevant parties and stakeholders involved in the Ukraine crisis will engage in the peace talks process. As the conflict has been unfolding on European soil, it is imperative for Europe to work for peace," he said, seemingly in contrast to the position of Russia, Beijing's foremost strategic partner.
On Monday before meeting with a US delegation in Saudi Arabia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he saw no place for the European Union at the negotiating table, claiming that the EU had already had several chances to participate in talks to settle the conflict.
