France expects China to send signals to Russia over war in Ukraine - Foreign Ministry
French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourne (Getty Images)
France expects "very clear signals to Russia" from China regarding the war in Ukraine, according to the French Foreign Minister, Stéphane Séjourne.
"We expect China to send very clear signals to Russia. China obviously plays a key role in ensuring Ukraine's independence and respect for international law, including its sovereignty," he said.
The Western community regularly urges China to play a more active role in this conflict, using its influence on Russia.
"This war concerns the entire international community," Séjourne said.
He also emphasized that the West is convinced that there will be no lasting peace unless it is agreed upon with the Ukrainians.
"There will be no security for Europeans if there is no peace in accordance with international law. Therefore, this is a very important issue for us, and that is why France intends to maintain close dialogue with China," the minister said.
China's participation in the Global peace Summit
China is considering participating in a peace conference aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, which will be organized by neutral Switzerland in the coming months.
Ukraine has already organized several meetings based on the peace formula at the level of advisors to heads of state, with the participation of dozens of countries. The main goal is to involve the largest number of countries in supporting such an initiative.
In January of this year, Ukraine and Switzerland began preparations for the Global peace summit, which will be held at the level of heads of state.
Last year, Beijing presented its peace plan for Ukraine with 12 points, but has yet to take significant steps to resolve the conflict, except for participating in peace talks under Western leadership in Jeddah last summer.
Earlier in March, China's special envoy for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui, met with officials in five countries, including Russia and Ukraine.
In recent years, China has strengthened its trade and military ties with Russia as the United States and its allies imposed sanctions on both countries, particularly Moscow, for invading Ukraine. The two countries announced a "borderless" partnership in February 2022 when Putin visited Beijing just days before the invasion of Ukraine.
