France Willing to Work With China on Ceasefire and Peace Proposals in Ukraine

VARESE, Italy. March 27th, 2023. According to a Chinese readout of a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron’s diplomatic adviser, the NATO nation is willing to take the lead for the West on addressing China’s peace proposal for Ukraine, unveiled weeks ago during a visit with Moscow.

“France is ready to make joint efforts with China to facilitate the cessation of hostilities and seek a peaceful solution,” Emmanuel Bonne, the advisor in question, is supposed to have told Chinese top foreign official Wang Yi.

US Sect. of State Antony Blinken and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell criticized China’s 12-point proposal at the UN Security Council as being overtly in Russia’s interest.

This marks Macron’s second break with the NATO bloc, having spearheaded an attempt at a ceasefire early on in the war during negotiations in Istanbul. Macron was also the first NATO leader to talk with Vladimir Putin.

“Other world leaders have expressed support for China’s initiatives, including Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva,” writes Dave DeCamp at Antiwar.

“Lula was due to visit China this week but had to cancel after catching pneumonia. Before the cancellation, the Brazilian leader said he would propose a ‘peace club’ with China to help mediate an end to the war in Ukraine”.

Bonne allegedly expressed appreciation for China’s positive role in promoting peace talks, while also rejecting bloc and Cold War mentalities on the Ukraine issue.

A coalition of China, Brazil, and France may be able to make headway in organizing a ceasefire, as Kyiv had originally said the Chinese proposal was “not bad”.

Many in the West have hoped and indeed been waiting for a spring Ukrainian counteroffensive, but Zelensky said Saturday that Ukraine’s counteroffensive can’t begin until the US and other Western countries send more weapons and ammunition. WaL

PICTURED: Presidents Xi and Macron in 2017. PC: Xinhua.