EU Commission Chief Says China Can Play 'Constructive' Role in Ukraine Peace Settlement

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told media on Tuesday that China could influence Russia "in a constructive way" and therefore should contribute to the peaceful settlement of the Ukraine conflict.

"China is in a position to influence Russia in a constructive way, and therefore they have a responsibility," von der Leyen said, adding that "you cannot be in between — you cannot be for half of the international order."

She also told the newspaper that the European Union was "concerned by [China's] position of friendship with Russia," noting that although Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Russia President Vladimir Putin in March, he has not yet contacted his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky.

In addition, von der Leyen stressed the importance of maintaining open diplomatic channels between the European Union and China and the need to "de-risk" relations with Beijing instead of fully adopting the US policy of total estrangement from the Asian country, the report said.

The European Commission chief is scheduled to accompany French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to China from April 5-7 at Xi's invitation. The agenda of the talks is expected to include the Ukraine conflict and the EU-Chinese relations.

In February, China released a 12-point document entitled "China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis," that underscores respect for the sovereignty of all countries, the cessation of hostilities and the resumption of peace talks between Moscow and Kiev. In the document, Beijing also condemned the abuse of unilateral sanctions, saying that they did not contribute to the settlement of the crisis.