German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz intends to call the Chinese leader Xi Jinping to reduce Russia's economic support and influence Moscow to join peace talks with Ukraine under conditions that would be acceptable to Kiev.
"We wish to emphasize China that this war is illegal and violates our basic interests," the WSJ quotes a high -ranking German official. "Currently, China is on the side of the aggressor ... He has to actively participate in all diplomatic initiatives to end the war."
Scholz is on a three -day round of China and plans to meet with SI Tuesday.
The representation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China did not respond to WSJ's request for comments.
At the same time, according to the publication, the likelihood of termination of war in Ukraine through negotiations in the near future is very small. Kiev insists on the full withdrawal of Russian troops and compensations, while Moscow hopes to preserve the occupied territory of Ukraine. Western diplomats also claim that Russia can plan a new offensive at the end of spring or summer.
According to German officials, reducing China's support can be crucial to Moscow and forcing it to support the negotiation process.
Many Western politicians and analysts believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to seize even more of Ukraine and will not negotiate before the US elections in November. Some Western allies, including Britain, doubt the expediency of imposing direct negotiations with Russia, as they are afraid that the purpose of the Russian Federation is to change the government in Kiev to a more consistent Kremlin's requirements.
In February, Putin declared the former Fox News FOX News that Western countries, not Kiev, should negotiate with Moscow on termination of war in Ukraine. On Friday, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported that a peaceful project, which Russia presented in March 2022, should be the basis for new negotiations.
The event was unable to support China for diplomatic resolution of conflict in Ukraine. Although Western countries do not consider that China directly supplies weapons to Moscow, Western diplomatic officials claim that Chinese companies supply dual -purpose goods, such as electronic components and chemicals that are key components of weapons, and help Russia in maintaining and restoring its military capacity.
Fabris Potier, a former high -ranking NATO official who is now advising the Kiev government, believes that China provides economic support for Putin's war and thus it is extremely important to attract Beijing's support. Potier is also convinced that long -term peace can only be achieved if Ukraine's full membership in NATO.
"It is important that the Chancellor Scholz clearly understand that any plan that involves neutrality for Ukraine is not an effective option, especially for Putin, which rejects the idea of Ukrainian sovereignty," WSJ says, quoting the German chancellor.
Several officials have said that with the support of China negotiations with Russia can begin by the end of this year, the publication reports.
In recent months, government diplomats have been exploring the possibilities of peace talks both in Ukraine and in Russia, according to WSJ, and Turkey has been doing the same.
In its turn, Ukraine organizes the Summit of Peace, whose members are non -members of the event, including China, India and Saudi Arabia, which have good relations with Russia. Although China participated in only one meeting, Moscow was not invited to him.
In a recent interview, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the diplomats of the Summit of Peace Summit can be presented in the near future. Zelensky also stressed that he is ready to negotiate with Russia only within the framework of this forum, subject to SI, and that China should be a guarantor of any potential agreement.
The US government has recently reported that China has increased the supply of non -lethal assistance to Russia, which can be used to produce weapons. Meanwhile, German officials claim that China's refusal to supply any weapon or ammunition of Russia indicates that Beijing leaves a space for maneuver and the ability to influence Putin.
"China is still in some despair," WSJ reports, quoting one high -ranking official.
The publication also notes that China has not completed the expansion of the pipeline for importing Russian natural gas, although Russia is in a hurry to search for new buyers because it cannot export gas to Europe anymore.
One high -ranking Kremlin official, recently in Beijing, said that the Chinese government is delayed to have a lever to influence Putin and put pressure on it if the Ukrainian war conflict adversely affects the Chinese economy.
WSJ points out that several people close to the Kremlin have recently carried out preparatory work, using a failed peaceful process of 2022 as a basis for a possible agreement. China's representatives of talks with high -ranking officials from Ukraine, Russia and outside the event on possible negotiations, visiting them in the Primary March. However, this approach was skeptical of Western governments because Chinese representatives did not have a sufficient mandate from SI.
Xi Jinping, who regularly communicates with Putin, met with Zelensky only once during the conflict, and refused to meet at a request from the Ukrainian side. The Ambassador of China Lee Hayu was headed by a delegation in Kiev, where he was headed by the head of the Zelensky Administration Andriy Yermak, reports sources close to negotiations. Yermak presented to his Chinese guest evidence that Chinese components were used in drones that Russia used for attacks on Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomes China's balanced position in resolving the Ukrainian crisis and indicates that Russia is considering China's proposals.
According to the US, China has suddenly increased the sales of Russia microelectronics and other technologies used by Moscow to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and other weapons for war against Ukraine.
Two high -ranking officials from Biden administration, who discussed confidential findings on Friday, provided anonymity, said that in 2023, approximately 90% of microelectronics used by Russia for the production of missiles, tanks and aircraft was supplied from China. Also, more than 70% of Russian imports of about $ 900 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 were also made from China.
In addition, Chinese and Russian companies also cooperate in the field of joint production of unmanned aerial vehicles in Russia, and Chinese companies are likely to supply nitrocellulose to Russia for ammunition. In addition, Chinese companies also provide optical components for Russian tanks and armored vehicles.
According to Russian customs, which were analyzed by Free Russia Foundation, the volume of Russian imports of semiconductors from China rapidly increased from $ 200 million in 2021 to more than $ 500 million in 2022.
Beijing also cooperates with Russia to improve space opportunities that can be used within the war in Ukraine, and this, according to officials, can increase the threat that Russia poses for Europe in the long run.
Although China officially provides Russia's direct military support, he expressed diplomatic support, accusing the event of Vladimir Putin's provocations.
Beijing has repeatedly stated that it did not provide weapons or military assistance, although it maintains strong economic ties with Moscow, together with India and other countries, against the background of sanctions from Washington and his allies.
