Ukrainian and Russian flags are pictured ahead of the Russian-Ukrainian talks at the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park, on Feb 28, 2022. (PHOTO / IC)
It's good to learn that after their latest round of talks both Russia and Ukraine seem to be a little more upbeat that some common ground can be found.
"Russia is already beginning to talk constructively," said Ukrainian negotiator and presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak in an online video message on Sunday. "I think that we will achieve some results literally in a matter of days".
A Russian negotiator was quoted as saying the same day that the talks had made "substantial" progress, and " … may grow in the coming days into a joint position of both delegations, into documents for signing".
US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman also reported having seen on Russia's part "some signs of a willingness to have real, serious negotiations".
It would certainly be welcome if the two sides are able to produce "positive results within days," as some officials on both sides anticipate.
The conflict has already claimed hundreds of lives, wounded thousands more, and forced more than 2.5 million Ukrainians to flee their homeland, resulting in the most devastating humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II. It is imperative that it is brought to an end as soon as possible.
But considering their first three rounds of talks in Belarus failed to make any substantive progress, the diplomatic engagement ended up fruitless, and the rhetoric about humanitarian concerns, especially that about "humanitarian corridors", fell largely flat, it may still be wise to keep optimism in check.
Despite this, it is clearly in both sides' interests to reach a negotiated end to the conflict. The war's devastation on Ukraine and its people is obvious. While the longer the war stretches on, the more casualties and losses the Russian forces will suffer. Not to mention that with each passing day, Russia is subject to mounting international pressure, militarily, economically, politically and morally.
Yet while the two warring parties may be trying to find a way to end the violence, and various parties are making diplomatic overtures aimed at facilitating this, there are also parties clearly acting to the contrary.
The rhetoric of Washington and London and the weapons the United States and the United Kingdom are providing Ukraine are aimed at fanning the flames of the conflict. For all their hand-wringing, most of those in these two Western capitals decrying what is happening in Ukraine are shedding crocodile tears. While lamenting the plight of the Ukrainian people, they are basically happy with things as they are, and hope to prolong the fighting as long as they can to debilitate Russia as much as possible and undermine the unity of the European Union.
Not only have these two countries hyped up and fueled the tensions for months and allowed them to spiral out of control, they have also tried to use the crisis to smear China.
Yet China always tries to play a constructive part in facilitating dialogue to resolve differences and disputes. It is China's consistent position that sanctions are always part of the problem rather than part of the solution. It will continue to talk to various parties to try and de-escalate the situation and keep the window for talks open.