Over the weekend, a policy trial balloon was floated by some circles in Washington, D.C., proposing to have China help bring about a negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia towards the end of 2023—after Kiev’s long-awaited “spring counter-offensive.” Although not a viable policy option as stated, it does represent a different approach than the London-stated policy of permanent warfare up to and including dismembering Russia as a nation, and provoking a nuclear showdown between the United States and Russia.
Very similar versions of the proposal were floated on May 7 in the Wall Street Journal, ABC, and in a CBS interview with Henry Kissinger. Kissinger, who is soon to turn 100, stated: “Now that China has entered the negotiation, it will come to a head, I think by the end of the year.” By that time, he continued, “we will be talking about negotiating processes and even actual negotiations.”
The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed U.S. and European sources, claimed that some elements of the Biden Administration see a role for China: “The willingness to encourage negotiations and seek out a role for China in talks represents a shift in Western thinking, particularly in the U.S., which has been highly skeptical of any involvement for Beijing, given China’s long standing support for Moscow.… The approach is based on the belief that neither side has the ability to continue fighting indefinitely, and that Beijing’s willingness to play a role in international peace talks should be tested, the officials said.”
