As the war in Ukraine marks its one year anniversary, and with the recent announcement of China’s call for a ceasefire and peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, it’s imperative to analyze history and to consider further pathways to peace. Ultimately, China is best positioned to lead the way to the end of the war, and them doing so would be for the betterment of the world.

Beijing’s influence on the Ukraine crisis is limited. Neither Washington nor NATO should nurse unrealistic expectations. Relations between China and Russia should not be viewed through the lens of Ukraine. It’s in everyone’s interest to stop the crisis from escalating into a global confrontation.

Russia’s irrational struggle has accelerated a process in which nearby countries are induced to turn against it. Making war is a costly way of fighting. Our country needs to learn how to win without fighting through the use of soft methods.

It is clear that China has little chance of changing Russia’s hard-line position in its war with Ukraine. Nor can it solve the “Russia problem” in the West. It can only act as it sees fit to safeguard the interests of the Chinese people.

China has not taken sides over the Russia-Ukraine conflict for good reason. It is Russia’s strategic partner and Ukraine’s largest trading partner. At the same time, China and the West are not enemies. We must coexist despite our differences.

To answer, it is essential to place Russia’s motives in historical context. Since the conflict is essentially between Russia and NATO, the West must be willing to negotiate. Otherwise the struggle will be protracted, with no end in sight.

Russia’s war in Ukraine is the most disruptive conflict that Europe has seen since 1945. While many in the West see a war of choice by Russian President Vladimir Putin, he says that NATO’s 2008 decision in favor of eventual Ukrainian membership brought an existential threat to Russia’s borders, and still others trace the conflict back to the Cold War’s end and the failure of the West to support Russia adequately after the collapse of the Soviet Union. How can we discern the origins of a war that may last for years?

Recently Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi revealed China’s vision during the annual UN General Assembly. His positive words come at a time filled with pessimism around the globe, with the West attempting to damage China’s standing.

The raging Russia-Ukraine conflict is a stark reminder of the urgency of effective management of weapons of mass destruction. The international community must come together to restart the long-stalled international negotiations over arms control and nuclear disarmament by fully utilizing the existing mechanisms and platforms and generating greater consensus and impetus among all stakeholders. A staunch supporter of the international arms control and nuclear disarmament regime, China adheres to its longstanding nuclear policy of maximum restraint and remains committed to the pursuit of a new path leading to a world of enduring peace and stability.

In recent years, Sino-Russian relations have become a model of great power relations with high degree of mutual trust, high level of collaboration and high strategic value. After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the assessment of the challenges for China-Russia relations in the external environment, the understanding of the conflict’s role in reshaping China-Russia relations, and the examination of the prospects of China-Russia relations have been critical in the analysis of how the Russia-Ukraine conflict will impact the game of great powers.