French President Emmanuel Macron pleaded with Chinese President Xi Jinping to aid in the efforts to end the brutal war raging in Ukraine.
Taking note of China’s kinship with Russia, Macron contended that Xi could help bring the parties to the negotiating table and cited China’s backing of the United Nations Charter, which affirms the territorial integrity of nations. Macron also alluded to China’s “no limits friendship” with Russia.
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“I know I can count on you, under the two principles I just mentioned, to bring Russia to its senses and bring everyone back to the negotiating table,” Macron said, per the Associated Press.
Xi largely refrained from speaking on the situation with Russia. China has sought to chart a neutral diplomatic position on the war.
Earlier this year, Xi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and affirmed the friendship between the two nations. China also recently unveiled a peace plan for the war in Ukraine.
Many Western nations, including the United States, voiced skepticism over China’s plan. Macron has previously asserted that Ukraine should determine the conditions of any peace agreement with Russia, seemingly casting doubt on the use of pressure to bring the war-torn nation to the negotiating table.
“We need to find a lasting peace,” Macron added. “I believe that this is also an important issue for China, as much as it is for France and for Europe.”
Macron began his three-day visit to China on Wednesday and was widely expected to raise the issue of Ukraine and urge China not to send weapons to Russia, something the U.S. suggested was on the table for China. The trip comes during brewing tensions between China and the West.
At one point, Xi appeared to allude to the growing friction with Washington and described France and China as “staunch promoters of multipolarization of the world.” China is one of the largest purchasers of Russian oil and gas and has been something of a lifeline to the Kremlin amid a barrage of crippling Western sanctions.
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Macron was flanked by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the trip. NATO allies have threatened China with “severe consequences” if Beijing moves weapons to Russia.
During the meeting, Xi also reportedly called for “restraint from all political partners” regarding Ukraine and voiced hope for a “political solution.”
