Merkel urges Ukraine peace

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) speaks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin walls in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday. Merkel skipped Russia's military parade on Saturday that marked the 70th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany. Photo: CFP

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday reaffirmed her support for the peace efforts in east Ukraine and called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to use his influence with pro-Russian separatists battling Kiev government forces to end a year-long conflict.

Merkel did not attend the Saturday parade in Moscow that marked the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, but chose to meet with Putin on Sunday after laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The two agreed that Berlin and Moscow need to find diplomatic solutions to problems as soon as possible, according to Russian news agency Sputnik.

"There is every reason to believe the Minsk process is moving forward, though with problems," Putin told a joint news conference with Merkel, referring to the peace deal signed in February in the Belarussian capital.

"With all the problems in east Ukraine, it has nevertheless become quieter," he said, adding that direct dialogue between the Kiev government and the separatists was crucial for peace.

Berlin has strongly backed the Western economic sanctions on Russia after Ukraine's Crimean region joined Russia last year.

"But still, the lesson of history is that we have to try everything to solve conflicts - as difficult as they might seem - peacefully and in dialogue and that means diplomatically," Merkel said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping watched the parade as the 112-strong honor guard from the People's Liberation Army (PLA), whose members represented the three services of the PLA, marched across Red Square on Saturday.

Xi's attendance at the WWII victory parade points to both countries' sacrifice in the World Anti-Fascist War and the need for united efforts against militarism that still haunts the world, say observers.

Around 30 foreign dignitaries joined Putin to watch the parade, including United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the presidents of India, Egypt, and South Africa, Central Asian leaders, and the presidents of Russia's longtime friends, like Cuba and Venezuela.

Western leaders have chosen to skip the parade due to tensions with Russia over the Ukraine crisis.

"It's not the first time that China sent representatives to the parade, as China and Russia were both major battlefields during WWII. But Xi's attendance this year shows that the strong ties between China and Russia will not be affected by the current political landscape," Xia Yishan, a research fellow of Central Asian studies at the China Institutes of International Studies, told the Global Times.

In his opening remarks at the parade, Putin paid tribute to the sacrifices made by Soviet troops during WWII, saying that victory in the Great Patriotic War by Soviet troops had determined the course of the war.

Putin also said that China, as the main battleground against militarism in Asia, had also sacrificed millions of lives. As the world commemorates the victory, he said countries should also learn lessons from history and build a peaceful world based on equality, safe and non-alliance policies.

He also thanked "the people of Great Britain, France and the United States for their contribution to victory." But he added that "In recent decades, the basic principles of international co-operation have been ignored ever more frequently. We see how a military-bloc mentality is gaining momentum," reported the BBC.

The remarks echo previous complaints by Putin about what he says are efforts by the US and its NATO allies to encircle Russia militarily.

During the parade, Xi sat on Putin's right, the two talking much of the time through interpreters.

"It was a chance for Russia to unite the whole country in the face of suppression by Western countries," Xia said, adding that China and Russia were both victorious nations in WWII and have both made great sacrifices and contributions to world peace. Xia said that the two countries also share the same vision in safeguarding the achievements and world order after WWII, including China's sovereignty over the disputed Diaoyu Islands.

China's WWII commemoration will be held in Beijing in September and Putin has confirmed his attendance.

Zhao Huasheng, a Russian studies expert at the Center for Russia and Central Asia Studies with Fudan University, told the Global Times that the strong ties between China and Russia are essential in maintaining the world's peaceful and stable development.

"Relations between the two countries will be the ideal model for world development and relations between countries should be built on mutual trust and win-win cooperation, and countries should not interfere with one another's internal affairs," Zhao said.

The event came a day after Russia and China signed a raft of agreements on Friday aimed at deepening economic ties between the two countries, including a deal for Russia's Sberbank to open a 6 billion yuan ($966 million) credit line with the China Development Bank, reported Reuters.