France's Macron To Visit China In April, Asks Beijing To 'Pressure' Putin To End Ukraine War: Report

Referring to China releasing a plan to end the war in Ukraine, Macron said Beijing engaging in peace efforts was a good thing.

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) shakes hands with China's President Xi Jinping during their meeting in 2019

Source : Getty Images

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said he would visit China in April and urged his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to "help us pressure Russia" to end the war in Ukraine, which completed its first anniversary on February 24.

"Peace is only possible if the Russian aggression is halted, troops withdrawn and territorial sovereignty of Ukraine and its people is respected," AFP quoted Macron as saying.

"The fact that China is engaging in peace efforts is a good thing," Macron said, referring to China releasing a plan to end the war in Ukraine. 

The French President also asked China "not to supply any arms to Russia".

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Macron also sought Beijing's help to "exert pressure on Russia to ensure it never uses chemical or nuclear weapons and it stops this aggression prior to negotiations", AFP reported.

An earlier report by Bloomberg said Macron would discuss energy, trade and Russia's war against Ukraine with President Xi Jinping during their meeting.

On Friday, China put forward a 12-point peace plan, calling for a comprehensive ceasefire in Ukraine. The plan urged both sides to agree to a gradual de-escalation, warned against the use of nuclear weapons and said conflict benefited no one, Reuters reported.

Released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the plan urges an end to Western sanctions against Russia, the establishment of humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians and steps to ensure the export of grain after disruptions caused global food prices to spike last year.

China also called for an end to the "Cold War mentality", which is what Beijing uses to imply global dominance by the United States and its interference in affairs of other countries.

Ukrianian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was open to considering parts of the peace plan put forward by Beijing. On the other hand, Russia said it appreciated China's plan and that it was open to achieving its goals through "political and diplomatic means".