Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

EU to discuss war in Ukraine with China

Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry
Photo: EPA/BGNES

Beijing is ready to discuss a political settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry Mao Ning said. The statement came ahead of a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Beijing on 5 April. French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed in a telephone call ahead of the visit to Beijing by Macron to engage China to hasten the end of the war in Ukraine, the Elysee Palace said on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

“We have been clear with China that its position on Russia’s atrocities and war crimes will determine the quality of our relations with Beijing,” Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief said at a press conference “There is a clear expectation from a permanent member of the (U.N.) Security Council to stand up in defense of international rules-based order and China as a moral duty to contribute to a fair peace,” Josep Borrel said. “There cannot be siding with the aggressor.” He described as “ironic” the fact that Russia is deploying nuclear weapons in Belarus. “This comes, ironically, after Chinese President Xi visited Moscow and mentioned the need for peace,” he said.

The EU is discussing a new Lithuanian bid to push the European Union to impose sanctions on Russia’s nuclear energy industry with proposed exemptions for Hungary and a two-year period to phase out existing contracts, according to a document obtained by Reuters.

The President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko is to pay a two-day visit to Moscow for talks with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin has announced. Lukashenko stated he had held a very serious conversation over the telephone with the director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service Sergey Naryshkin who informed him of serious threats against Belarus, the Belarusian state news agency or BelTA reports.

Belarusian authorities continue to advance Russia’s false narrative of nuclear escalation, likely to intimidate NATO states from providing military aid to Ukraine, the US-based Institute for the Study of War writes. Russian officials likely remain concerned about a potential Ukrainian threat to Crimea amid continued fortification and logistical efforts, the ISW says.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is to visit Poland on 5 April at the invitation of Polish President Andrzej Duda. 



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

CITUB: Public sector workers are ready to protest

CITUB President Plamen Dimitrov announced readiness for protests in at least four or five areas of the public sector with demands for higher wages, BNR has reported. According to the trade union’s analysis, the average salary..

published on 5/29/25 2:38 PM

Achievements in the construction of the Vertical Gas Corridor are bigger than expected

The construction of the Vertical Gas Corridor is a symbol of European partnership, technology transfer and the creation of cooperatives in the construction of such networks, said Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov during the inspection..

published on 5/29/25 2:20 PM
Rosen Karadimov and Maria Filipova

CPC to fine traders 10% of annual turnover for speculation with prices in euro

We need to unite within the framework of the law to prevent price speculation after the adoption of the euro, the chairman of the Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC) Rosen Karadimov said at a press conference. "There..

published on 5/29/25 1:07 PM