By W. Matthews
As the Trump administration reaches out to Russia and suspends military aid to Ukraine, European leaders have run out of good options. But they have a fast-disappearing window of opportunity to demonstrate that they can adapt to the world of great-power politics. European countries, including the UK, should actively counter this by engaging China in the search for a peace deal that gives Ukraine a seat at the table.
Engaging China carries risks, but should not imply a broader alignment with Beijing or distract from the need to mitigate the negative aspects of China’s influence. China has expressed a willingness to work out a peace plan and has called on Ukraine and Europe to attend peace talks. It also has leverage over Russia and can serve as a counterweight to an antagonistic US.
Engaging China would also send an important signal to the US that antagonising its allies has consequences. Washington’s willingness not only to engage but to ignore the behavior of Europe’s most immediate security threat must be met with a demonstration that Europe is willing to engage Washington’s key strategic competitor in return. Cooperation on a multilateral peace plan representing all parties would give China a chance to show that there is substance behind its ambitious rhetoric about global governance and UN-centered multilateralism.
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