China calls for cease-fire as war in Ukraine enters second year

China called for a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine in a 12-point proposal for ending the war that appears to have little chance of winning support from those backing the government in Kyiv.

The position paper issued by the Foreign Ministry in Beijing on Friday called for ending hostilities, protecting nuclear plants, resuming peace talks and eliminating unilateral sanctions — a provision the US has consistently rejected.

"All parties should support Russia and Ukraine in working in the same direction and resuming direct dialogue as quickly as possible, so as to gradually deescalate the situation and ultimately reach a comprehensive cease-fire," the ministry said.

The blueprint, which listed many of China's long-held foreign-policy positions in dealing with the US on issues like Taiwan, avoided the question of land that Russia has seized in eastern Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's government in Kyiv has said it would fight until Russia leaves its borders, and Moscow has shown no sign of stopping its attacks.

Ukraine and other countries are also unlikely to view China as an impartial mediator to end a war that has killed tens of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes. On Thursday, China abstained from a United Nations resolution calling for an end to the war. The measure passed 141-7, with 32 abstentions.

China's plans to release a peace proposal were met with skepticism by some European officials beforehand. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said a Russian troop withdrawal must be a condition of any peace deal. "A just peace cannot mean that the aggressor gets rewarded," she said at a recent security forum in Munich.

One European diplomat expressed skepticism about the Chinese proposal, saying that a nation sponsoring a peace plan usually has to engage in intense shuttle diplomacy between all concerned parties before hammering out an agreement that's acceptable.

That wasn't China's style, said the envoy, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the issue. Instead, the Asian nation's diplomats tended to present a proposal and then criticize anyone who questioned it.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that Beijing probably approved of Chinese firms providing Russia non-lethal, "dual-use" support for its war in Ukraine, remarks that underscore growing US concern that Beijing may help arm Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces. China has rejected the allegations and accused the US of fanning the conflict by providing weapons to Ukraine.

The White House earlier warned Beijing against providing lethal aid to Russia after US officials revealed concerns about intelligence that China is considering doing so. Officials have not said what the consequences would be for Beijing but that they consider it a red line that must not be crossed.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has yet to talk with Zelenskiy since the invasion despite speaking with Putin some four times in that span. Beijing has also repeatedly defended a few of Russia's reasons for going to war — most prominently to resist the expansion of North Atlantic Treaty Organization — while insisting it doesn't support the invasion itself.

US President Joe Biden told Zelenskiy on a surprise trip to Kyiv that the US had "unwavering support" for Ukraine. Biden also said the US would pledge more military aid to the nation.

After the president left Kyiv, the US Department of Defense detailed a $460 million aid package, which includes artillery ammunition, anti-armor systems, and air surveillance radars, in-line with previous assistance.