With the visit, China aims to play a more active role in bringing the year-old war to an end and part of a push for multi-party peace talks.

Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, China's position has been ambiguous, refraining from endorsing Russia's position that it needed to invade Ukraine, nor acknowledging its own assistance to Russia.

The Chinese government refused to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, repeated Russian propaganda and disinformation about the war, opposed economic sanctions against Russia and abstained or sided with Russia in United Nations votes on the war in Ukraine.

The Chinese government has been the subject of international criticism for failing to condemn the invasion or impose any sanctions on Russia.

Some Chinese netizens attacked those who support Ukraine and produced commentary deriding Ukraine.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he was satisfied with the policy of neutrality, stating that “China has chosen the policy of staying away. At the moment, Ukraine is satisfied with this policy. It is better than helping the Russian Federation in any case. And I want to believe that China will not pursue another policy. We are satisfied with this status quo, to be honest.” (ILKHA)