Zelenskyj in Ankara at the NATO summit.Image: keystone
Beijing apparently wants to prevent further escalation in the Ukraine war. Russia is said to have been shown a red line.
Jul 11, 2026, 07:43Jul 11, 2026, 7:48 am
Thomas Wanhoff / t-online
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, there were also discussions about China’s role in the Ukraine war at the last NATO summit in Ankara.
China was an important topic in the talks between Zelensky and US President Trump, Zelensky said on Thursday, according to a report by the Ukrainian news agency RBC. He did not want to give any details, but pointed out that European heads of government had also spoken about their contacts with the Chinese government.
Beijing is said to have reacted very harshly to Russian media reports calling for the use of nuclear weapons. «It is very important to emphasize that not only the Europeans, not only the United States, but also China responded. And it seems to me that this is the first time that they have reacted so clearly and so decisively – as I was told, in an ultimatum-like manner – that there should be no discussion whatsoever about the use of nuclear weapons,” Zelenskyy told Ukrainian reporters.
Officially, China is staying out of the war, but there are some deliveries of weapons components via third countries. Beijing also buys raw materials from Russia.
Nuclear weapons exercises in Belarus
So far, Vladimir Putin has refrained from making direct nuclear threats against Kyiv. However, Russia conducted nuclear weapons exercises in Belarus in May. Despite pressure from Russian politicians, Putin said Ukraine’s attacks did not cause enough damage to warrant a nuclear response from his government.
In June, St. Petersburg MP Viktor Perov called for attacking Ukraine with nuclear weapons. «Our president was forced to launch the special military operation, but unfortunately not everything went as planned. Therefore, I believe that you, the deputies, should turn to the president with a request to start using nuclear weapons … which will force the leadership of Ukraine to sign a peace agreement,” Perov said.
US politician Graham: The path to peace leads through Beijing
China could play a crucial role in pushing Russia toward peace talks to help end the war in Ukraine, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said on Friday, according to Reuters. He added that the next few months would offer a chance for a diplomatic solution.
Graham further said that strengthening Ukraine’s military capabilities and linking sanctions to diplomatic efforts could force Moscow to negotiate. “The path to ending this war, the path to peace, leads through Beijing rather than through Washington, Kiev or Moscow. China has an outsized influence. I would like to see it use its influence for the good of the world,” Graham told reporters in Mykhailivska Square in the heart of Kiev.