By Andrea Thomas
BERLIN (Dow Jones) — The federal government has reacted cautiously to China’s twelve-point peace plan for the Ukraine war. Deputy government spokesman Wolfgang Büchner said it was positive that China, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, had presented its own ideas on how to end Russia’s war against Ukraine. However, more balance is needed in the proposals.
“The plan contains a number of important points – the clear rejection of any use of nuclear weapons. At the same time, in our view, important elements are missing – first and foremost the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine,” Büchner said at the government press conference.
It is also important that China is now discussing this idea directly with Ukraine. This is the only way to find a “balanced solution” that takes Ukraine’s legitimate interests into account.
In the plan to “politically settle” the crisis, China called on Russia and Ukraine to engage in direct negotiations and protect civilians.
On the question of whether, from a German perspective, a ceasefire or – as Ukraine is demanding – a withdrawal of Russian troops is a condition for direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, Büchner said that Ukraine itself must define these conditions.
“When Ukraine says they see the conditions as a troop withdrawal, then I think that’s an understandable position,” said Büchner.
China has close ties to Russia and presents itself as a neutral party in the conflict. China abstained at a meeting of the UN General Assembly on Thursday, where 141 of the 193 members passed a resolution calling on Russia to withdraw from Ukraine. The resolution states that a path to negotiations will not open until Russian troops withdraw from Ukraine.
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 24, 2023 06:23 ET (11:23 GMT)