By Sun Zhuangzhi

孙壮志

Malicious attacks occur now and then as the Ukraine crisis continues, resulting in significant casualties among innocent civilians. There is a fat chance of the conflicting parties sitting down for renewed negotiations. Ukraine has issued an "ultimatum" to Russia, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signing a decree passed by the Ukrainian parliament stating that negotiations with Russia are not to be pursued. Russian President Vladimir Putin also asserted his confidence in winning the final victory.

乌克兰危机延宕至今，仍不时发生恶性袭击事件，大量无辜平民在战争中伤亡。冲突双方坐到一起重启谈判的可能性仍微乎其微。乌克兰向俄罗斯下了“最后通牒”，总统泽连斯基已签署由乌议会通过的“不与俄罗斯谈判”的法令；俄总统普京也表示自己肯定会赢得最后的胜利。

At the same time, there is a perceived slump of Western support for Ukraine. While the US strategically and economically benefits from the Ukraine crisis, internal political polarization and partisan conflicts, coupled with numerous uncertainties brought by the upcoming elections , may make the expected substantial aid to Ukraine fail to materialize. The EU is a conglomerate of nations with similar political stances but different interest demands. Providing assistance and favorable policies to Ukraine means that some member states have to sacrifice their own interests. Therefore, Ukraine is only a secondary option in front of their own interests. In 2023, the aid Ukraine received from the West was only one-third of that in 2022.

同时，美欧对乌援助出现“疲软”态势。美国虽借乌克兰危机在战略上和经济上获利，但美国国内的两党相争、政治极化，加之进入大选年，不断增多的各种不确定因素，使乌克兰所期待的巨额援助可能无法兑现。欧盟本身就是一个国家集团，政治立场的一致不等于利益诉求的等同，给乌克兰的援助和各种优惠政策，意味着部分成员国要牺牲自身利益，在本国利益面前，乌克兰是“次要选项”。2023年，乌克兰从西方获得的援助只有2022年的三分之一。

In response to the crisis, the "adding fuel to the flame" approach of the Western countries contrasts sharply with China's efforts to promote reconciliation. On the one hand, most countries, including China, won't give up on diplomatic efforts and will continue to actively promote peace talks. On the other hand, Western countries, driven by their hegemonic interests, are unlikely to change their stance. The repercussions of the conflict are expected to expand and its global economic impacts will become more evident. Fluctuations in energy and food markets will become regular and the external environment for the economic development of various nations is deteriorating. More importantly, the Ukraine crisis is causing instability and reconstruction in the European security system, driving profound adjustments in the international landscape and major power relations. The international order will also change as a new balance is being formed. In other words, the conflict is changing the geopolitical landscape, with major power games influencing the policy choices of the opposing sides.

对于这场危机，美西方国家的“拱火浇油”与中国的促和努力形成鲜明对比。一方面，包括中国在内的大多数国家不会放弃努力，将继续积极劝和促谈；另一方面，美西方国家也不可能改弦更张，这关系其霸权利益。冲突的影响将进一步扩大，经济上对全球的冲击显而易见，能源和粮食市场的价格波动成为常态，各国经济发展的外部环境在恶化。更重要的是，乌克兰危机将导致欧洲安全体系的动摇和重构，推动国际格局和大国关系的深刻调整，在实现新的平衡中，国际秩序也随之改变。也就是说，冲突造成格局的变化，而大国博弈又左右着对立双方的政策选择。

The outbreak of the Ukraine crisis is rooted in long-standing regional conflicts in Europe, the escalation of geopolitical confrontations among major powers after the Cold War, as well as historical grievances among nations and ethnic groups. Ultimately, the Ukraine crisis has to be resolved through negotiations. In a document titled China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis, released by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in February 2023, China clearly articulated its stance and presented a comprehensive "Chinese solution" to address the crisis.

乌克兰危机的爆发，既因为欧洲长期累积的地区矛盾、冷战后大国地缘政治对抗带来的矛盾升级，也有国家、民族间的历史恩怨推波助澜的原因。乌克兰危机最终还是要通过谈判来解决。对于乌克兰危机，中国外交部在2023年2月发表的《关于政治解决乌克兰危机的中国立场》文件中，清晰地表达了中方立场，提出了系统解决乌克兰危机的“中国方案”。

At the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, China emphasized that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter should be observed, the legitimate security concerns of all nations should be taken seriously, and all efforts conducive to a peaceful resolution of the crisis should be supported. Meanwhile, China dispatched special envoy for Eurasian affairs Li Hui to visit Russia and Ukraine, urging both parties to exercise restraint, protect civilians and civilian facilities, and provide humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian people caught in the crossfire.

乌克兰危机爆发之初，中国就提出，各国主权、领土完整都应该得到尊重，联合国宪章宗旨和原则都应该得到遵守，各国合理安全关切都应该得到重视，一切有利于和平解决危机的努力都应该得到支持。同时，中方还派出欧亚问题特使李辉出访俄乌两国，呼吁双方保持克制冷静，保护平民和民用设施安全，向处于战火中的乌克兰民众提供人道主义援助。

China calls on the international community to intensify diplomatic mediation efforts and play a constructive role in the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. China supports the UN in its efforts to mediate the conflict and facilitate Ukrainian grain exports. China opposes the selfish actions of sticking to hegemony and Cold War mentality by the US and Western countries and firmly rejectsWestern countries' attempt to exploit the Ukraine crisis to push the world towards bloc confrontation. China opposes arbitrary sanctions and blatant interference in the internal affairs of other countries. China has consistently voiced the call for justice and actively promoted peace talks during the Ukraine crisis. This responsibility as a major power and its persistent efforts are visible to the world.

中方呼吁国际社会加大外交斡旋力度，为政治解决乌克兰危机发挥建设性作用。中方支持联合国在调解冲突、解决粮食外运方面的努力，反对美国及西方国家坚持霸权主义和冷战思维的自私行径，坚决反对西方国家借乌克兰危机，推动世界走向集团对抗，以及肆意发动单边制裁和粗暴干涉别国内政，始终在乌克兰危机上发出正义呼声，积极劝和促谈，这份大国担当和不懈努力，世界看得见。

(The author is the director and researcher of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.)

（作者系中国社会科学院俄罗斯东欧中亚研究所所长、研究员）

Editor's note: Originally published on china.com.cn, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.