UPDATE - China should also talk to Kyiv if it wants peace in Ukraine: German president

UPDATES WITH COMMENTS FROM GERMAN DEPUTY GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN, ADDS BACKGROUND

BERLIN (AA) - German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday voiced doubt on China’s recently announced peace plan to end the Ukraine war.

“It is questionable whether the superpower China wants to play a constructive role to this end. But if it does, then China should certainly talk not only with Moscow but also with Kyiv,” Steinmeier said during an event to mark the anniversary of the war.

Steinmeier called on Beijing, which enjoys close ties with Moscow, to take a clear stance against Russia’s war on Ukraine.

“It is Russia that has brutally attacked its neighboring country. It is Russia that keeps sending new troops to the front,” he said.

If China wants to play a constructive role for peace in Ukraine, then it should join the overwhelming majority of states and work for peace under the auspices of the UN, Steinmeier stressed.

“We must join together to ensure that the principles of the United Nations are respected by the country which is violating them on a daily basis,” he said.

The German president stressed that Russian troops should withdraw from Ukraine, and without this step, it will not be possible to negotiate the end of the war.

“A sham peace, which simply rewards Putin’s land grab and leaves people at the mercy of the arbitrary actions of their occupiers, will not be a real peace,” he said.

Earlier, China announced a 12-point proposal for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, which underlined the importance of the UN Charter and respecting the sovereignty of all countries.

It called for ceasing hostilities, resuming peace talks, keeping nuclear power plants safe, stopping unilateral sanctions and promoting post-conflict reconstruction.

German deputy government spokesman Wolfgang Buchner said it was a good thing that China presented its ideas, but stressed that "important elements are missing" in the proposal.

"As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has a very special responsibility to end the Russian war in Ukraine. And that's why it's good that Beijing has presented its own ideas," Buchner said at a routine press briefing in Berlin.

"The Chinese plan contains a number of important points, such as a clear denial of any use of nuclear weapons. At the same time, from our point of view, important elements are missing, first and foremost the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine," he said.

Buchner urged China to discuss its peace plan with Ukraine, in an effort to meet Kyiv's security interests.

"It is important that China is now also discussing these ideas directly with Ukraine. This is the only way to find a balanced solution that takes Ukraine's legitimate interests into account."

*Oliver Towfigh Nia contributed to this report