Berlin, 2 March 2023 (dpa/MIA) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticized China in relation to Moscow's war on Ukraine and called on Beijing to lobby Russia to withdraw its troops from its neighbour.

"Use your influence in Moscow to press for the withdrawal of Russian troops! And do not supply weapons to the aggressor Russia!" said Scholz on Thursday during his government statement in the Bundestag, one year after his watershed speech shortly after the war began.

Scholz did praise the fact that China's President Xi Jinping had "unequivocally opposed any threat of nuclear weapons or even their use in Russia's war against Ukraine." This has contributed to de-escalation, he said.

Scholz added it was good that China had recently repeated the clear message against the use of nuclear weapons in a 12-point plan concerning the conflict.

However, he called it "disappointing" that at the recent meeting of G20 finance ministers in India, Beijing was no longer willing to reaffirm what had been the consensus at last year's G20 summit in Bali, namely "a clear condemnation of the Russian attack."

During the session, the chancellor also highlighted support for Ukraine as a contribution to the defence of international security.

"What a fatal encouragement to the aggressor it would be if the breach of international law and the European peace order were rewarded," he said.

"Our European peace order is defenceless," he added and referred to lessons learned after two world wars. "Our 'never again' means that aggressive war will never return as a means of politics."

Scholz made it clear that, in his view, there was nothing to suggest at the moment that Russian President Vladimir Putin was willing to negotiate a return to such principles and a fair peace. However, "there is no negotiating with a gun to your head - except for your own submission."

Recently, the world community sent a clear message to Putin at the UN General Assembly: "Withdraw your troops - then this war will be over immediately!

Scholz also rejected criticism of arms deliveries to ward off Russia's aggression. No peace deal will be made over the heads of the Ukrainians, Scholz said.

He added peace is not created by shouting "no more war" in Berlin, while at the same time demanding a halt to weapons supplies to Ukraine.

"Love of peace does not mean submission to a larger neighbour. If Ukraine stopped defending itself, this would not be peace, but the end of Ukraine," Scholz said.

On February 27, 2022 - three days after the start of the war - Scholz had announced a special fund of €100 billion ($106 billion) to invest in Germany's armed forces, the Bundeswehr, during a special parliamentary session.

His comments came after the approval of the first arms supplies for Ukraine to fend off Russian attacks, in a move that saw Germany break a long-held taboo.

Scholz also referred to a government commitment that Germany will in future always meet NATO's 2% target, that sees members commit 2% of GDP to defence.