“Preserving the UN Charter”: China announces peace initiative – Baerbock welcomes plans

“Uphold the UN Charter”
China announces peace initiative – Baerbock welcomes plans

China is sending its top foreign politician to the security conference in Munich. There, Wang Yi promises a push for peace in Ukraine. He wants to discuss the plan with Moscow next week. Foreign Minister Baerbock, however, mentions red lines.

Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has praised China’s announced peace initiative for the Ukraine war. At the same time, the Green politician ruled out any transfer of territory to Russia. A just peace presupposes “that the one who violated territorial integrity, namely Russia, withdraws its troops from the occupied country,” she said at the Munich Security Conference. “World peace is based on the fact that we all recognize the territorial integrity and sovereignty of each country.”

But it is also clear that “every chance” for peace must be used. Without a complete withdrawal of all Russian troops from Ukraine, there is no chance of an end to the war, said Baerbock. “Even if it’s difficult,” all demands to end the war by ceding territory to Russia are unacceptable. “That would mean that we make people prey to Russia. We won’t do that.” Russian President Vladimir Putin should not be rewarded for his war of aggression, also to prevent imitators.

Wang Yi announces Moscow trip

China’s top foreign politician Wang Yi had previously announced his own initiative to end Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine at a conference in Munich. He wants to travel directly to Moscow after the Munich conference. “We will present something, namely the Chinese position on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis,” said China’s top foreign policy official, according to the official translation. “We will stand firm on the side of peace and dialogue.” For a safer world, “the principles of the UN Charter are something we must uphold,” he said.

The chaos and conflicts that are wracking the world at the moment have been provoked because the principles of the UN Charter have not been upheld. Wang Yi called for peaceful conflict resolution through dialogue and consultation. Problems between countries should not be solved through pressure or unilateral sanctions. This is counterproductive, “because it leads to endless difficulties”. Dialogue and consultations should not slacken no matter how severe the tensions. “Peace should be given a chance.”

Baerbock said that the day before, at a meeting with Wang Yi in Munich, she had spoken intensively about what a just peace means: “Not that you reward the aggressor, but that you stand up for international law and for those who have been attacked.” As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China is obliged to use its influence to secure world peace. Just as China made it clear last year with regard to the nuclear threat from Russia that it has a responsibility as a member of the Security Council, it is now “good if it sees a responsibility to stand up for world peace,” said the minister. World peace is based on “that we all recognize the territorial integrity and sovereignty of each country”.

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