Beijing, Feb 24 (AFP/APP): China called Friday for urgent peace talks as it released its plan to end the war in Ukraine, but Western powers quickly rebuffed the proposals.
The 12-point paper calling for a “political settlement” of the crisis. Timed to coincide with the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the paper calls for all parties to “support Russia and Ukraine in working in the same direction and resuming direct dialogue as quickly as possible”.
It also makes clear its opposition to not only the use of nuclear weapons, but the threat of deploying them, after Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to use Moscow’s atomic arsenal in the conflict.
But the document was immediately met by scepticism from Ukraine’s allies.
US President Joe Biden’s national security advisor said the war “could end tomorrow if Russia stopped attacking Ukraine and withdrew its forces”.
“My first reaction to (the position paper) is that it could stop at point one, which is to respect the sovereignty of all nations,” Jake Sullivan told CNN.
And German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that while “every constructive suggestion that brings us closer on the path to a just peace is highly welcome… .”
China should “not just speak with Moscow, but also with Kyiv”, he added.
At a press conference in Beijing, Ukrainian and EU diplomats urged China to do more to press Russia to end the conflict.
Jorge Toledo, the EU ambassador to China, said Beijing has a “special responsibility” as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to uphold peace.
“Whether this is compatible with neutrality, I’m not sure, it depends on what neutrality means,” he said.
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