When French President Emmanuel Macron meets Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, he said on Wednesday that he wants to “engage China toward a shared responsibility for peace” in Ukraine.

French officials had previously stated that Macron intended to urge Xi to utilize Beijing’s influence with Russian President Vladimir Putin during talks on Thursday, but that Macron did not anticipate a significant shift in the Chinese position.

Ideology of Macron

To demonstrate European unity in dealings with Beijing, Macron will be accompanied by President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission. Xi and Putin pronounced their states had a “no restrictions companionship” before Moscow’s February 2022 assault on Ukraine. Beijing has called for a cease-fire and peace talks while attempting to appear neutral and refusing to criticize the Kremlin.

Macron stated that he would “try to build, and somehow engage China toward a shared responsibility for peace and stability on international issues” such as Ukraine, Iran, and North Korea in a speech to Chinese residents of French descent.

China is the biggest buyer of Russian oil and gas, which helps the Kremlin survive Western sanctions by supporting its revenue. That increments the Chinese impact. However, Xi seems hesitant to imperil that organization by forcing Putin. Macron referred to Putin’s announcement that Moscow intends to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which China opposes.

According to Macron, upholding those ideals “means moving forward together and trying to find a path for peace.” He mentioned that China came up with a peace plan in February and that France doesn’t agree with it completely, but the plan “shows a will to commit toward the resolution of the conflict.”

In the meantime, the 31 nations that makeup NATO issued a warning on Wednesday, warning of “severe consequences” if China begins sending weapons and ammunition to Russia.