The war in Ukraine was the focus of talks between Xi Jinping, Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen at a trilateral summit in Beijing during which the Chinese president said he was ready to call Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky at the right time .
An invitation also reiterated by the president of the European Commission: « I encouraged President Xi Jinping to contact President Zelensky . It was interesting to hear President Xi reiterate his willingness to talk (with him) when the time and conditions are most appropriate.
But von der Leyen went even further, warning Xi that arms shipments from China to Russia "would significantly harm" relations between Brussels and Beijing , because "assisting an aggressor would be contrary to international law".
And China, he added, has a responsibility to use its influence against Russia and the EU is "counting" on him to do so .
"As a member of the UN Security Council - said von der Leyen - China has a great responsibility and we expect it will play its role and promote a just peace that respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine , which is one of the fundamental principles of the UN charter. I strongly reiterated that I strongly support President Zelensky's peace plan but also appreciate some of the principles China has brought to the table, especially with regards to nuclear security and the unacceptability of nuclear threats and the use of nuclear weapons." "We count on the fact that China does not directly or indirectly supply arms to Russia - concluded von der Leyen - because arming the aggressor would be against international law and would cause significant damage to our relations".
(Unioneonline/D)