Macron suggests Ukraine and Russia declare an "energy truce"

President of France Emmanuel Macron during a meeting with the leader of China Xi Jinping on Thursday called for a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, at least in the form of a moratorium on strikes on critical infrastructure. He said this at the press conferences after meeting with Xi.

Macron said that he had discussed Russia's aggression against Ukraine in detail with the Chinese leader and emphasized that this war poses a vital threat to European security and the international legal order based on the rule of law.

"As permanent members of the UN Security Council, we have a special responsibility to make every effort to find compromises, but at the same time to ensure the preservation of international law and long-term stability," Macron said.

"I hope that China will join our call and our efforts to achieve as soon as possible at least a ceasefire in the form of a moratorium on attacks on critical infrastructure – this is a key issue on the eve of winter, as Russian strikes continue to target civilian and energy facilities. But more broadly, so that we can work together for a just and lasting peace that is in line with international law," the French president said.

Xi Jinping said that China supports any efforts in favor of peace and expressed hope that a peace agreement acceptable to both sides could be reached.

• In March, Ukraine and Russia held technical meetings saudi Arabia tried to agree on an "energy truce" but it did not last, and in the fall Russia launched a campaign to deliberately bring Ukraine's energy system to an unusable state.
• Since the summer, Ukraine has been conducting large-scale attacks on Russia's oil infrastructure, including refineries.