A “window for peace is opening” in Ukraine, China’s top diplomat told a meeting of G20 foreign ministers on Thursday, as the Trump administration ramps up its push to end the war in close coordination with Russia.

British Foreign Minister David Lammy walks out of a car to attend the meeting of the G20 foreign ministers, which is hosted by South Africa, under the theme 'Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability' at the NASREC conference center in Johannesburg, South Africa, February 20, 2025. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

China came out in support of U.S. President Donald Trump's bid to strike a deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, at a G20 meeting in South Africa on Thursday, while U.S. allies rallied around Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

The Trump administration had earlier announced it had agreed to hold additional talks with Russia to end the nearly three-year-long conflict, following a 4.5-hour meeting in Saudi Arabia.

Ukrainian service members of the 68th Jaeger Brigade named after Oleksa Dovbush attend military exercises at a training ground, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine February 20,

Ukrainian special forces have released a video showing a Russian soldier pleading for mercy. A Ukrainian drone tracked the man. "This is the only way negotiations with the aggressor should look," the video authors noted as they shared it online.

China's foreign ministry has said it sees a "window for peace" opening for the war in Ukraine, as top US diplomats meet with Russia in Saudi Arabia.

For the last three years, China has repeatedly signalled a willingness to act as a peacemaker in the war in Ukraine. There were rounds of shuttle diplomacy by Beijing's envoy to countries from South Africa to Indonesia.