BEIJING, April 17 – Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, says he has urged Xi Jinping to press Russia to end its “senseless” war in Ukraine and that the Chinese president has agreed to back a peace conference in Switzerland.
Scholz quoted by the Guardian said after a meeting with Xi in Beijing on Tuesday that “China’s word carries weight in Russia”.
“I have therefore asked President Xi to influence Russia so that Putin finally calls off his senseless campaign, withdraw his troops and ends this terrible war,” he said on social media platform X.
Scholz said Xi had agreed to back a peace conference in Switzerland, which is due to take place in June without Russia in attendance.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, responded on X tha China could help deliver a “just peace” for his country by playing an “active role” in the international conference.
Xi, however, appeared to dismiss the meeting in Switzerland, saying efforts towards a peaceful resolution should be recognised by both sides and include equal participation by all parties.
Russia has dismissed any such meeting as meaningless without Moscow’s participation.
China says it is a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict but has been criticised for refusing to condemn Moscow’s offensive.
