The president nonetheless warned China towards promoting any arms or dual-use items to Moscow
The US and its allies don’t pursue a “regime change” in Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron stated on Monday throughout a joint press convention with Chinese language President Xi Jinping. Paris would nonetheless proceed to supply help to Kiev in its ongoing battle with Moscow for so long as it’s “vital,” the French chief maintained.
Macron was welcoming Xi on the Elysee Palace in the course of the Chinese language chief’s go to to Paris, the place he met each the French president and the pinnacle of the EU Fee, Ursula von der Leyen. Xi and Macron mentioned a broad vary of matters, together with the Ukraine battle, in addition to bilateral commerce and financial ties.
In the course of the talks, the French president urged the Chinese language chief to verify his nation doesn’t present any help to Moscow that can be utilized within the battle with Kiev. Macron stated he welcomed Beijing’s commitments “to chorus from promoting any arms” or present “any help” to Russia within the standoff.
Von der Leyen additionally stated that “extra effort is required to curtail supply of twin use items to Russia that discover their approach to the battlefield,” whereas admitting that “this doesn’t have an effect on the EU-China relations.”
Macron maintained it was essential to “clarify the influence of this battle on Europe’s safety and our willpower to help Ukraine for so long as vital.” On the identical time, he said that the West “doesn’t have a standard aim to result in regime change in Moscow.”
The EU Fee head known as on Beijing to “use all its affect on Russia” to cease the continued battle. Macron stated he was keen to “preserve an in depth dialogue” and welcomed Xi’s determination to go to France to “coordinate” the 2 nations’ positions forward of the deliberate go to by Russian President Vladimir Putin to China later in Could.
A gathering with the Chinese language chief “will permit [us] to observe a standard agenda and determine whether or not or not there’s a will for a sturdy peace,” he stated.
Xi, in flip, criticized the West for distorting the picture of his nation amid the battle. “China didn’t create the Ukraine disaster, neither is it a celebration to it,” he instructed the joint press convention. “We reject using the Ukrainian disaster to forged blame upon others, smear third nations and unleash a brand new Chilly Conflict. As historical past has repeatedly proven, conflicts can solely be resolved by negotiations,” he stated, including that Beijing has “at all times performed a constructive position to result in peace.”
The developments got here simply days after Macron as soon as once more raised the problem of sending NATO troops to Ukraine – an concept he has been repeatedly considering since February when he first talked about such a chance. The West must take into account the problem if Kiev formally asks for it, he stated final week.
Moscow has repeatedly criticized such statements, warning that sending NATO troops to Ukraine would seemingly make a direct confrontation between the US-led bloc and Russia inevitable. It additionally slammed what it known as the French management’s “belligerent rhetoric” and provocative statements across the Ukraine battle, warning that they solely result in additional escalation.
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