China presents 12-point peace plan for Ukraine war.
In addition, arms deliveries to Russia should be planned: the situation at a glance.
China's
peace plan
: One point surprises
Initial
reactions
to the Chinese peace plan: Baerbock and Scholz skeptical
12-point peace plan:
That's in the document from China
Update from Tuesday, February 28, 8:15 a.m .:
After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has already commented on China's 12-point peace plan, the Ukrainian secret service has now also given its assessment of the situation.
However, this referred to the possible arms deliveries from China to Russia.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's intelligence service, told
US radio station
Voice of America : "At this point in time, I do not believe that China will agree to transfer arms to Russia."
+
Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian secret service.
(archive photo)
© Pavlo Bahmut / Imago Images
Asked about the US warning of the consequences of arms sales to China, specifically by CIA chief Bill Burns, Budanov said: "I do not share this opinion." Asked about possible other supporters of Moscow, the Ukrainian intelligence chief added: "Almost the only country that is currently more or less seriously supplying weapons is Iran.” Recently there have been increasing reports that Iran is supplying drones to Russia.
China's head of state and party leader: This is how Xi Jinping rose to become the most powerful man in the world
China's head of state and party leader: This is how Xi Jinping rose to become the most powerful man in the world
+++ 15.45:
China raises new allegations against the United States.
It is "hypocritical" to warn Beijing against supplying arms to Russia.
"While the United States ramps up efforts to supply arms to one of the parties to the conflict, leading to endless wars, it frequently spreads false information about China's supply of arms to Russia," said Mao Ning, spokeswoman for the foreign ministry.
The
New York Times
reported on this.
Alternative to the West
This is what China's new world order looks like
+++ 11.45 a.m .:
With a view to the Chinese twelve-point plan to settle the conflict in Ukraine, Moscow does not “currently” see the conditions for a “peaceful” solution.
"We are paying close attention to our Chinese friends' plan," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.
"At the moment we don't see the conditions for things to go peacefully," Peskov said, adding: "The special military operation (in Ukraine) continues." Peskov as "absurd".
The sanctions imposed on 121 people and institutions would not "disturb" those affected, Peskow assured.
China's 12-point peace plan: CIA warns against arms sales to Russia
Update from Monday, February 27, 8:00 a.m.:
After China presented a 12-point peace plan for the Ukraine war, there is still uncertainty about Beijing's intentions.
Arms deliveries to Russia, which are in the room, are the main reason for this.
So far, however, it is unclear to what extent and when this should take place.
The CIA is now warning of this – and threatening serious consequences if Chinese interferes in the Ukraine conflict: “Beijing will have to make its own decisions about how to proceed and whether to provide military support,” a security adviser to Joe Biden told the US Broadcaster
CNN
.
"But if Beijing goes down this path, there will be real costs for China," the adviser continued.
The head of the CIA, Bill Burns, has been the clearest so far: China is considering providing "deadly support" to Russia.
However, even this assessment left many questions unanswered.
French President Emmanuel Macron, on the other hand, welcomed the peace plan from China.
"The fact that China is involved in peace efforts is very good," he said over the weekend.
He called on Beijing to "help the West put pressure on Russia" to "stop aggression" - and "make peace".
Arms deliveries from China to Russia are counterproductive, according to Macron.
+++ 10.30 a.m .:
Ukraine has so far reacted with cautious optimism to China’s peace plan.
From their point of view, the first point is particularly important: "The sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be effectively safeguarded," it says.
But when the UN General Assembly voted to withdraw Russian troops, China abstained.
A contradiction?
In any case, it is striking that the state media in China have kept silent about how China voted.
It seems, then, that China is still pursuing a two-pronged strategy in the Ukraine war.
+++ 7:00 a.m .:
In addition to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also commented on China’s peace plan in the Ukraine war.
Kuleba spoke of an "interesting document" and praised the fact that China "extensively sets out its own position on this war".
We agree on some points, but there is at least one point "with which we disagree".
Kuleba was referring to the demand to end unilateral sanctions.
"We believe that the sanctions are an important tool." Ukraine will examine the Chinese proposal intensively.
"We need to go through the document from start to finish and draw our own conclusions."
After 12-point peace plan: Zelenskyj proposes China summit
Update from Saturday, February 25, 1:30 a.m.:
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, made surprisingly positive comments about China's 12-point peace plan.
He said at a press conference in the capital, Kyiv, that China had proposed several points with which he agreed.
For others, however, that is not the case.
The fact that China is now talking about Ukraine is by no means a bad thing, Zelensky said.
However, the paper presented is not a genuine peace plan.
But it is not bad that China has started talking about Ukraine.
He then proposed a China summit.
+++ 6.20 p.m .:
The Russian Foreign Ministry welcomed Beijing’s initiative to end the war in Ukraine and at the same time reaffirmed its own positions for ending the hostilities.
"We welcome the sincere desire of our Chinese friends to help resolve the conflict in Ukraine through peaceful means," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.
"We share Beijing's considerations"
Russia is open to a political-diplomatic solution.
The basic prerequisite, however, is an end to Western arms deliveries to Ukraine, the cessation of all hostilities and the return of Ukraine to a neutral, non-aligned status.
In addition, the "new territorial realities" - i.e. the illegal annexation of several Ukrainian territories by Russia - would have to be recognized.
Zakharova also reaffirmed Moscow's original war goal - the "demilitarization and denazification" of Ukraine.
According to the 12-point peace plan: Russia wants to work more closely with Belarus
+++ 4 p.m.:
After the presentation of the 12-point peace plan, China announced that it would intensify cooperation with Belarus.
Foreign Minister Qin Gang said in a phone call with his Belarusian counterpart Sergei Aleinik that they wanted to deepen ties.
This was announced by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The Chinese government will continue to support Belarus' efforts to resist external interference in domestic affairs.
The Foreign Ministry was not more specific.
For example, no example was given.
Recently there have been reports that Russia is planning to infiltrate the Belarusian state by 2023.
So far, Beijing has not commented on Moscow's plans, which is why today's announcement symbolizes a new type of Chinese interference.
China's 12-Point Plan for Peace in the Ukraine War: One surprising point
+++ 2:00 p.m .:
Despite the fact that all twelve points of the Chinese peace plan are very general, one point is surprising.
The first point of the document states: "The territorial integrity of all countries must be respected." Beijing contradicts the Russian approach in Ukraine.
The Kremlin repeatedly emphasizes that Russia is only taking back areas that historically belonged to Russia.
However, these are officially part of the national territory of Ukraine, and it is mainly about regions of the Donbass in the east of the country.
"China is clearly distancing itself from Russia, even if it doesn't condemn Russia," Klaus Mühlhahn, sinologist and President of Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen, explained
the facts to the news portal
t-online .
+++ 12.00 p.m .:
International are further reactions to the document from Beijing.
Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, has described China's 12-point plan for peace in the Ukraine war as "little credible".
He said so during a visit to Tallinn, Estonia's capital.
The Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, Oleksij Makeiev, called for action from China instead of concepts.
The government in Beijing must exert its influence on Russia, Makeiev told
RBB
.
+++ 10.00 a.m.:
China's 12-point plan for peace in the Ukraine war remains relatively vague.
Numerous goals of the Chinese government, such as "cessation of hostilities" or "end of unilateral sanctions" (see first report), are formulated vaguely.
"Dialogue and negotiations are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis," the document says, for example.
For Jorge Toledo, Ambassador of the European Union in China, this is "not a peace proposal".
"There are no so-called legitimate security concerns that could justify this war of aggression and such a violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity and political independence," Toledo told the international press in Beijing on Friday.
Renowned China expert Scott Kennedy described the 12-point peace plan on
as a "wish list".
According to a
Handelsblatt
report, he also called the Chinese peace plan "stillborn" (see update from 9.30 a.m.).
China's 12-point peace plan: initial reactions
Update from Friday, February 24, 9:30 a.m.:
There are already initial reactions to China's 12-point peace plan for the Ukraine war.
After Chancellor Olaf Scholz had expressed skepticism on ZDF
before the document was published
, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock referred to the United Nations Charter.
She therefore called on China to support these plans.
Scott Kennedy, China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in the US, described China's peace plan as an idealistic wish list and "stillbirth".
He commented on this on
.
First report from Friday, February 24, 4:30 a.m.:
Beijing – In a long-awaited 12-point paper published by the Foreign Ministry in Beijing on Friday, China called for a ceasefire in the Ukraine war.
In addition, an immediate start of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia is required.
"Dialogue and negotiations are the only feasible solution to the Ukraine crisis," says the position paper.
However, China's efforts to become more involved with proposals had previously been viewed with skepticism, as China has not yet condemned Russia's war of aggression.
Ukraine war: China unveils 12-point peace plan
"All parties should support Russia and Ukraine to work in the same direction and ultimately achieve a comprehensive ceasefire," the document said.
“Conflict and war serve no one.
All parties must remain rational, exercise restraint and avoid fanning the flames, and prevent the crisis from worsening or even spiraling out of control.” China also insists that UN principles must be strictly observed.
In the paper, titled "China's Position on Political Resolution of Ukraine Crisis," the Chinese Foreign Ministry pledged that China would continue to play a "constructive role" in resuming peace talks, but gave no further details.
Each point is followed by a paragraph that explains the Chinese position, but does not offer any concrete suggestions on how to achieve the points.
China's demands in the 12-point paper
Respect for the sovereignty of all countries
Moving away from the Cold War mentality
cessation of hostilities
resumption of peace talks
settlement of the humanitarian crisis
Protection of civilians and prisoners of war
Safety of nuclear power plants
Reduction of strategic risks
Facilitation of grain exports
Ending unilateral sanctions
Stabilization of industrial and supply chains
Promotion of post-conflict reconstruction
(Source:
CNN
)
"The sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be effectively upheld," reads the paper's first point, which observers often relate to Ukraine's original borders.
At the same time, however, it also calls for the "legitimate security interests of all countries to be taken seriously".
Diplomats see this formulation as a clear indication of Russia's argument that it must defend itself against the United States and NATO.
In the document, China also calls for a reduction in the strategic risks of war: "Nuclear weapons must not be used, and nuclear wars must not be fought." The threat of using nuclear weapons should also be rejected.
However, despite the demands in the position paper, diplomats in Beijing do not go so far as to describe the proposals as a "new peace initiative" or "peace plan".
Reference was made to China's special proximity to Russia and its lack of neutrality.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began a year ago, China has always backed Russian President Vladimir Putin, describing the US and NATO as the real culprits of the crisis.
(skr/tu with AFP/dpa)
List of rubrics: © Pavlo Bahmut / Imago Images
