MOSCOW: The Kremlin said on Friday it had followed “important talks” between Chinese Presi­dent Xi Jinping, French President Emma­nuel Macron and EU Commis­sion chief Ursula von der Leyen, but said it doubted China would change its position on the Ukraine conflict under external pressure.

China has proposed its own “peace plan” for Ukraine in Beijing’s first major diplomatic intervention into the conflict, but Ukraine and some Western leaders remain sceptical of Xi’s close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that the Kremlin had “monitored” the talks between the EU and China, but underlined that Russia had its own “rich relations” with Beijing.

“China is a very serious, very big power with its own sovereign position ... This is not the kind of country that changes its positions rapidly under external influence,” Peskov said, when asked if Russia was concerned Europe could persuade Xi regarding Ukraine.

After the talks, Xi expressed willingness to speak to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky directly.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2023