Macron Urges China to Back Winter Moratorium on Strikes Against Ukraine’s Energy Infrastructure

BEIJING — French President Emmanuel Macron called on China to support an immediate temporary halt to attacks on Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure during the upcoming winter, describing the measure as a vital humanitarian step.

Speaking at a press conference following talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, Macron said: “I hope China will join our appeal and our efforts to secure, as quickly as possible, at least a ceasefire in the form of a moratorium on strikes against critical infrastructure. This is essential for the coming winter months.”

The proposal echoes a short-lived bilateral agreement between Russia and Ukraine earlier this year. On March 18, the two sides implemented a 30-day moratorium on attacks targeting each other’s energy facilities. Moscow later accused Kyiv of breaching the arrangement more than 100 times and blamed the violations on a lack of command discipline within the Ukrainian military. Ukrainian authorities rejected the claims, insisting they had not deliberately targeted Russian energy assets.

As of now, the Kremlin has not issued an official response to President Macron’s latest initiative.