Poland: Türkiye, China could mediate Ukraine peace if US withdraws
WARSAW
Türkiye and China could step in as credible mediators in any future Ukraine peace negotiations if the United States withdraws from efforts to end the war, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has suggested.
Speaking after an EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Warsaw, Sikorski expressed hope that Washington would succeed in its current diplomatic push.
“But if this path turns out to be unsuccessful, there are other candidates,” he said.
“There is Türkiye, which maintains open lines of communication. And then, above all, there is China, which more than anyone else has the leverage to bring [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to the negotiating table and soften his demands.”
Sikorski’s remarks come amid reported frustration within the U.S. administration over stalled peace efforts.
On April 26, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that Putin may be "tapping me along" in the ongoing negotiations.
More recently, on May 8, Vice President JD Vance told Fox News that the U.S. would be prepared to “walk away” from the table if Moscow fails to show meaningful progress.
Trump on May 8 pressed Russia to accept a 30-day unconditional ceasefire with Ukraine, with any breaches punishable by sanctions.
Türkiye has long positioned itself as a potential mediator in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Ankara has preserved diplomatic and economic ties with both Kiev and Moscow, leveraging its strategic role in the Black Sea region. Ankara previously facilitated peace talks in March 2022 under the Istanbul initiative.
China, meanwhile, has presented itself as a peace broker while simultaneously criticizing the West for fuelling the conflict by arming Ukraine. NATO has described Beijing as a “decisive enabler” of Russian aggression due to its deepening strategic partnership with Moscow.
Chinese President Xi Jinping was in Moscow to attend the 80th anniversary celebration of the end of WWII and to reaffirm China’s backing of Russia in its clash with the West.
Xi met with Putin on May 8 and reaffirmed the two country’s “no limits” partnership, saying they remain “friends of steel.” The leaders hailed their countries' relationship on May 8, vowing to increase cooperation in all areas, including military ties.
