China’s special representative for Eurasia, Li Hui, said on Friday that he believed neither Ukraine nor Russia had “stubbornly” closed the door to talks, despite the difficulties in starting talks at the moment, Reuters reported.

At a press conference during his European tour last month, Li said that the Russian side highly appreciates China’s willingness and efforts to promote a peaceful resolution of the crisis in Ukraine.

In May, Lee completed a 12-day tour of Kiev, Warsaw, Paris, Berlin, Brussels and Moscow, trying to find common ground for a final political solution to the war in Ukraine.

“The risk of an escalation of war between Russia and Ukraine remains high,” Lee said, adding that all parties should take concrete measures to “calm the situation” and ensure the safety of nuclear facilities.

“As long as it leads to de-escalation, China is willing to do anything,” he said.

Li, who served as ambassador to Russia from 2009 to 2019, is the highest-ranking Chinese official to visit Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion.

His tour took place on the eve of the expected Ukrainian counteroffensive to retake the territories occupied by Russia.

However, his trip, which is closely watched internationally, did not lead to diplomatic progress.

China has close ties with Russia, and Beijing has never condemned Russia’s interference or even called it an invasion. China claims to be neutral in the war.

The Kremlin said that Russia is open to negotiations on ending the conflict.

Ukraine says Russian troops must leave every inch of its territory, including four “annexed” regions and the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow “annexed” from Ukraine in 2014, before a peace plan can be discussed.