Editor’s note: Seymur Mammadov, a special commentator for CGTN, is the director of the international expert club EurAsiaAz. The article reflects the author’s opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to official reports, the discussion primarily focused on bilateral relations. On the same day, the UN Security Council adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution calling for a swift end to the conflict and urging a lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine. The resolution received 10 votes in favor, including the U.S., China, and Russia. However, how the situation will unfold remains uncertain as these events are just beginning to assert its influence.

During the conversation, the Russian president outlined to Beijing the main outcomes of recent Russian-American contacts, as well as Moscow’s fundamental stance on the Ukrainian crisis. Putin emphasized that Russia aims to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and achieve a sustainable and long-term peaceful resolution.

Xi, in turn, recalled that shortly after the escalation of the conflict in 2022, China presented its fundamental principles for a settlement, including four points about what must be done to address the crisis. China’s stance of peaceful resolution to the Ukraine crisis has been consistent. For example, in September 2023, China, together with Brazil and other Global South countries, initiated the creation of the Group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine crisis. In May 2023, China put forward a 12-point proposal in a paper which comprehensively and systematically explains its basic position and propositions.

However, in the West, Beijing’s peace initiatives are met with skepticism, with accusations that China is seeking to prolong the war for economic gain. The truth is that the primary beneficiary of the conflict has been the United States. Washington continues to reap dividends from the confrontation while maneuvering between Kyiv and Moscow to secure the most favorable conditions.