On July 24, Kuleba told top Chinese diplomats in Beijing that Kyiv is "willing and ready for dialogue and negotiations with Russia." According to Breitbart News, the Ukrainian official's remarks contrast with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's refusal to sit down with Moscow.

Kuleba was in the Chinese capital for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other senior leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on both the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and trade relations between Kyiv and Beijing. Despite being Russia's closest geopolitical ally, China is Ukraine's largest trade partner.

"I held detailed and thorough negotiations with my Chinese counterpart Wang about the path to peace. I emphasized that Ukraine needs a just and lasting peace, not just an illusion of peace, and I appreciate that this position was reciprocated," Kuleba wrote on social media. He added that he and Wang "agreed that all forces must work together to find common ground on the path to restoring true peace per the principles of the United Nations Charter."

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) meanwhile shared with reporters that Kuleba offered support for China's "reunification" efforts with Taiwan and that he celebrated the commercial ties between Ukraine and the CCP.

"Foreign Minister Wang noted that China and Ukraine are friends to each other," said MFA spokeswoman Mao Ning. "Ukraine is one of the first countries to support and participate in [Belt and Road Initiative] cooperation. In recent years, China has remained Ukraine's largest trading partner and the largest exporter of agricultural products."