Berlin, Paris, Beijing agree on need to support diplomacy on Ukraine
As the United States and much of the West resort to sanctions and arming Kiev, China, France, and Germany call for supporting diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed during a trilateral video conference on the need to support any diplomatic effort to simmer down the Ukrainian crisis, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said Tuesday.
The three leaders talked for about an hour, the main topic of their conversation was the Russian operation in Ukraine and the international community's "efforts to end the conflict."
"Chancellor Scholz, President Macron, and Chinese President Xi Jinping were united on the need to fully support the negotiations aimed at a diplomatic solution to the conflict," Hebestreit said.
The leaders reportedly agreed on the need to provide humanitarian assistance and access to combat zones, calling for the creation of functioning humanitarian corridors.
"All three countries are ready to provide further humanitarian assistance. Foreign ministers will actively consult to support further efforts aimed at ending this conflict," Hebestreit added.
The talks come in light of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine that aims to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine in response to DPR and LPR calls for assistance in countering Ukrainian troop aggression.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the special operation is only targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure and poses no threat to civilians. Moscow has repeatedly stated that it has no intention of occupying Ukraine.