China Welcomes Ukraine-Russia Talks, EU Urges Putin Pressure

European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, urged China to leverage its influence on Russian President Vladimir Putin to advance peace talks and end the war in Ukraine. Von der Leyen emphasized that while the EU has influence on Ukraine, it expects China to ensure Russia engages seriously in negotiations, noting Ukraine's President Zelensky is already willing to negotiate. The recent third round of talks in Istanbul between Ukraine and Russia ended without a ceasefire agreement, though they reached a consensus on humanitarian issues including prisoner exchanges, which China welcomed as consistent with its stance supporting peace efforts. Despite this, China continues to support Moscow, being a major importer of Russian crude oil and supplier of dual-use defense components, and the EU's call for China to pressure Russia coincides with concerns about imbalances in EU-China relations. U.S. officials have also warned China may face consequences if it subsidizes the conflict and fails to push Russia toward peace. Additionally, the discovery of fully Chinese-made drones deployed by Russia in Ukraine highlights China's increasing involvement in the conflict.