schedule14:55 – April 7, 2023
In a statement today, the Kremlin said it was aware of talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping, his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, but said it doubted China would change its stance on conflict in Ukraine under the pressure of foreigners.
China has proposed its own “peace plan” for Ukraine in Beijing’s first major diplomatic intervention in the conflict, but Ukraine and Western leaders remain skeptical of Xi’s close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters today that the Russian presidency “monitored” talks between the EU and China, but stressed that Russia has continued to maintain close relations with Beijing.
“China is a serious power, and it is dominant. “It is not that country that changes positions under foreign influence,” Peskov noted, answering a question regarding whether Russia is concerned regarding such a thing.
After the talks, Xi expressed a willingness to speak directly to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to von der Leyen, while Macron said he asked Beijing to make Russia reason.
/abcnews.al
