China called on Russia and Ukraine to hold peace talks and rejected any recourse to nuclear weapons, in a 12-point document released on Friday, a year after the start of the conflict.
“All parties should support Russia and Ukraine to work in the same direction and resume direct dialogue as soon as possible” for a “peaceful solution”, said the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Titled “China’s position on the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis”, the document was published Friday morning on the ministry’s website, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the outbreak of the Russian invasion in Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
China has been seeking for a few weeks to play a mediating role in the conflict, and has been promising for several days to publish its position with a view to finding a political solution.
In the document, Beijing clearly opposes any use of nuclear weapons, while Russian President Vladimir Putin has brandished this threat.
“Nuclear weapons must not be used and nuclear war must not be waged,” the document states.
China also urges the two countries to “strictly abide by international humanitarian law, avoid attacking civilians or civilian buildings”.
On the CNN channel, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan reacted to the Chinese document by saying that it “could have stopped at the first point, respect for the sovereignty of all nations”.
“The war could end tomorrow if Russia stops attacking Ukraine and withdraws its forces,” he added.
” Doubts “
The European Union, through the voice of its ambassador in China, Jorge Toledo, indicated that it was going to “study” this document.
“There is no mention of an aggressor (in this text), which is a bit strange because it is clear that there is an aggressor”, however lamented Mr. Toledo during a press briefing in Beijing.
“Our message to China”, as a permanent member of the Security Council, “is that it has a particular responsibility to assume, to ensure that the principles, values and objectives of the United Nations, in particular in matters of war and peace, are respected. »
This war is a delicate matter for Beijing, because of its strong diplomatic and economic ties with Moscow, consolidated by the common interest of counterbalancing Washington.
Officially neutral, China calls for respecting the sovereignty of states, including Ukraine, while urging Europeans to take into account Moscow’s security concerns.
But Western pressure is growing on Beijing, which has never publicly supported or criticized the Russian offensive, while repeatedly expressing its support for Moscow in the face of Western sanctions.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also expressed his “doubts” on Friday about the “constructive role” that China can play for peace in Ukraine.
Call of the G7
“China should do everything in its power to end the war […] and encourage Russia to withdraw its troops,” said Zhanna Leshchynska, the current charge d’affaires (the main official) of the Ukrainian embassy in China.
“China should talk to both sides, Russia and Ukraine. Because currently, we see that the Chinese side speaks mainly to Russia but not with Ukraine. »
In recent days, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed concern that China is considering supplying arms to Russia – allegations strongly denied by Beijing.
At a virtual summit on Friday, the G7 will call for refraining from sending military aid to Russia, the Japanese prime minister said.
“Given the reported military support to Russia from third countries, the G7 intends to call for this support to end,” said Fumio Kishida, whose country will chair the meeting.
On Wednesday, the head of Chinese diplomacy Wang Yi went to Moscow, where he met Mr. Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, without having seen the document, on Thursday welcomed the involvement of this close partner of Moscow, saying he wanted to “have a meeting with China”. “That China is starting to talk about Ukraine and sending some signals is a very positive point.”