Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out China as a possible guarantor of Ukraine’s future security arrangements, telling local media on 20 August that Beijing “did not provide support when Ukraine needed it” and had supplied drone components to Russia. He added that China therefore “cannot be a security guarantor for Ukraine.” Zelensky’s stance rebuffs a suggestion by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that China join a group of states underwriting any eventual peace deal. “I don’t quite understand what guarantees the aggressor needs,” the Ukrainian leader said, arguing that Kyiv—not Moscow—will determine the list of guarantor countries. Beijing responded through Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, who said on 19 August and reiterated on 22 August that China “has consistently upheld an objective and impartial position” on the conflict and “stands ready to work with the international community to play a constructive role in the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.” Mao emphasized that China was neither the creator of the war nor a party to it, citing President Xi Jinping’s four-point proposal calling for respect for national sovereignty and support for peace talks. The exchange underscores a widening gap between Kyiv and Beijing over China’s role in any future peace accord, even as Moscow tries to enlist friendly powers in shaping Ukraine’s post-war security architecture.