German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said China's long-awaited plan for resolving the Ukraine conflict should come under the principles of the UN Charter.
This was necessary because China, as a UN Security Council member, "not only has veto rights, but precisely as a member it has a special responsibility to restore world peace," she told reporters in New York on Thursday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
"The easiest way also for China would be to support the United Nations Charter, to recognize the right to self-defence and, above all, to make it clear to Russia that the prohibition of the use of force applies to all states in this world," Baerbock demanded of Beijing.
Baerbock also defended Germany's decision to supply Ukraine with modern Leopard 2 main battle tanks after Russian accusations that it would mean German tanks would once again fire on Russian soldiers, as they did in World War II.
None of the appeals made to Russia around the world had brought about any changes in Russian President Vladimir Putin's mind, she said.
"That's why what we can do to protect people in Ukraine from further killings, rape and torture is precisely arms deliveries."
China's UN representative, Dai Bing, said in New York that arms deliveries would not create peace but only fuel the war. He did not present Beijing's peace plan for Ukraine, but called for a calming of the conflict.
There must be direct talks between Moscow and Kiev again as soon as possible, he said. Dai repeated the announcement that Beijing would soon present a position paper on a political solution to the Ukraine crisis.
