OSLO — Norway is pressing China to use its direct connections to the Russian government to help push for a negotiated end to the ongoing war in Ukraine, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere announced Monday.
“China is probably the country with the best and most direct access to the Russian leadership. We expect, hope and strongly urge China to use that channel,” Stoere told reporters following his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Oslo. He noted that Ukraine dominated the bulk of their conversation.
Stoere also warned that China’s continued close partnership with Russia is holding back the potential for stronger ties between China and Europe. “There is a potential for deeper cooperation between Europe and China, but as long as this war goes on and China is a close partner of Russia, that is a limitation on that opportunity,” he said.
Earlier Monday, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide described the dialogue with China about ending the conflict as “constructive and promising.” When asked whether China had signaled a willingness to bring Russia to the negotiating table, Eide was cautious but optimistic. “I’m not a spokesperson for China. I’m not going to quote them, but there are some hints in what they say,” he remarked.
Norwegian officials stated that peace talks should begin without any preconditions, starting with a ceasefire along the existing front lines in Ukraine. Stoere described this as a significant sacrifice on Ukraine’s part, noting, “That is, in itself, a major concession from Ukraine’s side. It is inside their territory.”
Wang Yi’s visit to Oslo came after previous stops in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland as part of his Nordic tour. Reuters indicated it had reached out to the Chinese delegation in Oslo for comment.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that a resolution to the Ukraine conflict is “getting closer than people realize” and indicated he plans to address the issue during meetings in Turkey this week at a NATO summit.
