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French ambassador to China Laurent Bili said that China can play a particularly important role in promoting negotiations and ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine as the Ukraine crisis deepens. In a written interview with a local media outlet, he said “It is in this sense that the EU and China have carried out a series of contacts at different levels in recent days.”
As intense fighting is continuing in Ukrainian cities, senior officials from Moscow and Kyiv were set for a second round of negotiations since the war broke out. Meanwhile, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, with China abstaining from the vote. China’s banking regulator said on Wednesday that China will not join in sanctions on Russia that have been led by the West.
Bili said, with the assistance of EU partners and others, France and Germany stand ready to facilitate the restoration of peace in Ukraine. China’s Foreign Ministry has repeatedly called for peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis through diplomatic efforts. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a Wednesday press briefing, “China will continue to play a constructive role in promoting the de-escalation of the situation in Ukraine.” The Ukrainian Foreign minister urged the Chinese Foreign Minister on Tuesday during a phone call to mediate for a ceasefire as the war escalates.
French President Emmanuel Macron since the beginning of the crisis has worked to engage in dialogue with all stakeholders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian President Vladimir Putin, EU partners, the United States, and China in hopes of de-escalating tensions, Bili said. France, the only nuclear power in the EU, occupies the rotating presidency of the bloc in the first half of 2022. Macron has held talks with Zelensky and Putin to seek all possible ways to end the invasion of Ukraine.
France and its partner countries foresaw the terrible prospect of war in Europe, Bili said. “We, therefore, made every effort to avoid an escalation of the situation and to resolve the crisis through dialogue,” he said. The efforts include working with Germany to advance dialogue within the framework of the “Normandy format”, a mechanism for discussing Ukraine issues established in 2014 by Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany, as well as promoting discussions with allies on the security of the European continent, Bili said. There was still a chance for peace, but Russia opted for war, he said.
France understands the special relationship between China and Russia as well as China’s desire to address the concerns of all parties, Bili said. France welcomes China’s statement that one country’s security cannot come at the expense of others’ security and cannot undermine the sovereignty and security of other countries in pursuit of its own absolute military superiority and security, the ambassador said. In the coming days, the 27 EU member states are expected to adopt a new European defense doctrine the Strategic Compass, which will provide a collective roadmap for creating a safer world for all, Bili said.