China wants war to go on, Beijing cannot mediate between Ukraine and Russia – Czech President

Czech President Petr Pavel warns that China benefits from war, as it could push Russia to make concessions, so China cannot act as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine

He said this in an interview with Politico.

"I believe that it is in China’s interest to prolong the status quo because it can push Russia to a number of concessions," Pavel said.

He explained that Beijing could get cheap oil, gas and other resources from Russia in exchange for its "no limits" partnership with the Kremlin.

"It is also good for China that the West is probably becoming a little bit weaker by supporting Ukraine," the president said.

He also emphasized that China is using the war to monitor the West's reactions and learn "lessons from the conflict," so the country is not interested in a quick end to the war.

“I don’t think  that China has a real interest to resolve the war in a short time. China is learning lessons from the conflict every day. China is taking lessons out of the conflict every day. They closely follow what Russia is doing, how the West is reacting," Pavel added.