Spain's PM Sanchez, China's Xi to discuss Ukraine next week

MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday he would discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a state visit to China next week, with a view to reaching a lasting peace there.

Madrid announced Sanchez' state visit to China on Wednesday evening saying it followed a formal invitation from the Chinese leader, who is trying to position himself as a mediator in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

"We will also talk about Ukraine where the most important thing is to be able to guarantee a stable and lasting peace," Sanchez told reporters in Brussels, where he attended an EU summit.

"It is important to know first-hand his position on the peace on Ukraine and tell him also that the Ukrainians themselves will establish the conditions for the beginning of this peace," Sanchez added.

Xi has just concluded a three-day trip to Moscow, where he described China's position on the conflict as "impartial". Last month, Beijing put forward a 12-point peace plan and called for a comprehensive ceasefire.

Spain, a NATO member whose foreign policy is closely aligned with the United States, is a staunch ally of Ukraine and will assume the presidency of the Council of the European Union in July.

(Reporting by Inti Landauro, editing by Andrei Khalip)