China should be judged by its actions, not words: German Defense Minister

Berlin:

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Sunday reacted with skepticism to a Chinese ceasefire offer for the war in Ukraine.

“When I hear reports – and I don’t know if they are true – that China plans to supply Russia with kamikaze drones, as well as present a peace plan, I suggest that we Judge it by its actions and not its words,” he told German public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk in an interview.

Pistorius was echoing comments by NATO and the European Commission, both of which raised doubts on Friday about Beijing’s credibility as a mediator after publishing a cease-fire proposal.

Beijing introduced the resolution on Friday, the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed some elements of the Chinese proposal, but said that only the country in which the war is being fought should be the initiator of the peace plan.

Pistorius underlined that it was up to Kiev to decide when and under what conditions to enter into talks with Moscow, and he suggested that the same was true for any decision to annex the Crimean peninsula which Russia has annexed. Was removed from Ukraine in 2014.

He said in the interview, “I’m leaning toward saying, yes, Crimea is Ukrainian territory and therefore should be given back.” “But again: It’s not a decision we have to make.”

Zelensky says his forces will eventually expel Russia from all occupied territories, including the Crimean peninsula.

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