European Council to ask China to push Moscow to 'just peace' with Ukraine
President of the European Council Charles Michel (Getty Images)
President of the European Council Charles Michel will ask China directly at the UN Security Council to do more to push Russia to a "just peace" with Ukraine, Reuters reports.
According to a draft of his speech seen by the agency, Michel will call for Michel will call for "a just peace that respects the U.N. Charter and its core principles — the territorial integrity of a sovereign nation" on September 20.
Michel will then turn directly to the Chinese delegation to say: "As responsible nations, let's join forces - to persuade Russia to end this criminal war that is hurting so many."
China's Vice President Han Zheng is in New York for the annual gathering of world leaders for the UNGA, and is currently expected to attend the meeting of the 15-member council for China, diplomats said.
It is anticipated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will also participate in the Security Council meeting and present his vision for a peaceful resolution.
China's stance
China abstained from voting at the United Nations General Assembly, which consists of 193 members, the majority of whom called for Moscow to withdraw its troops from Ukraine and cease hostilities.
Since the start of the war in February 2023, China refrained from condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine and significantly increased its trade with Moscow in the face of Western sanctions. Beijing put forward a so-called "peace plan" containing vague language.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited Moscow in the spring of 2023 following the International Court of Justice in The Hague issuing an arrest warrant for the Russian President over the abduction of Ukrainian children. Also, Putin is scheduled to visit Beijing in October, and there are no plans to arrest him there.
