– China is not a party to the Ukraine war – NRK Urix – Foreign news and documentaries

Xi Jinping visits Europe for the first time in five years.

The war in Ukraine was a major topic when the powerful Chinese leader met French President Emmanuel Macron and European Union President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday.

Macron said before his meeting with the Chinese President: “We are at a turning point in history.”.

Macron: China pledges not to send weapons to Russia

After the meeting, Macron met with the media, Agence France-Presse wrote.

Macron claims that Xi promised not to send weapons to Ukraine.

Macron says: We appreciate the Chinese authorities’ commitment not to sell weapons to Russia.

The French president says the Chinese leader also promised to stop supplying so-called multi-use goods to the Russians, namely “civilian strategic goods” and related technology.

Meanwhile, Macron said he was disturbed by reports that Chinese companies had supplied Russia with military equipment.

The French President pointed to the challenges in the relationship between Europe and China News agency.

“It is clear that the future will depend on our ability to maintain a balanced relationship with China,” Macron said.

-We must be able to solve the challenges we face.

Xi is expected to put pressure on Putin

The French President will use the visit to try to influence the Chinese leader to pressure Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. But previous attempts to do so have not succeeded, he writes Reuters.

But Macron achieved something after his visit to Beijing last year, the news agency reported.

Shortly after Macron left China, Xi called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky directly for the first time.

Western leaders are concerned about China providing military and political support to Russia in the war against Ukraine.

Shortly before the full-scale invasion on February 24, just over two years ago, China and Russia entered into a political partnership.

After the meeting, in which EU President Ursula von der Leyen also participated, she also stressed China's responsibility.

Ursula von der Leyen said that the European Union expects China to use all its influence on Russia to end its aggression against Ukraine.

Shi tries to reassure

On Monday, Xi was trying to reassure Western leaders.

The Chinese leader said that China was not the one who created the crisis in Ukraine. Xi said China is not a party to the conflict.

Xi said China is working hard to facilitate peace talks on Ukraine, according to Chinese state media.

China insists that the country is neutral in the Ukrainian conflict. But trade between China and Russia has increased sharply since Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Ursula von der Leyen admits that the EU's relationship with China is complex.

– It is one of the most complex, but also one of the most important, said the President of the European Commission.

For his part, Xi stressed that China and Europe should “continue the partnership” and focus on “strategic coordination.”

Analysts believe that China fears sanctions from Western countries if China supports Russia more actively than it already does.

China relies heavily on exports to Western countries and does not want to harm trade policy by openly supporting Russia militarily.

Later this week, Xi will visit Serbia and Hungary, which are considered among the EU's friendliest countries toward Russia.

– The Foreign Legion is not in Ukraine

At a time when the Chinese leader is trying to reassure the presidents of France and the European Union, France is trying to reassure China and other countries with close relations with Russia.

The Foreign Ministry in Paris sent a message that the French Foreign Legion was not on the ground in Ukraine.

The reports are a Russian disinformation campaign, according to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

– No, France did not send soldiers to Ukraine, says the letter from the Foreign Service, writes Reuters.

Last winter, an uproar erupted in a number of capitals when Macron suggested that individual countries should consider sending soldiers to Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was quick to clarify that no soldiers would be sent to Ukraine under NATO auspices.