Biden says China negotiating Russia-Ukraine peace deal ‘not rational’

President Biden said a Chinese-brokered peace plan between Russia and Ukraine is “not rational” in a new interview, noting that the proposed plan would only benefit Russia.

ABC News’s David Muir asked Biden in an interview released Friday what he thought of Chinese peace proposal that Russian President Vladimir Putin applauded last week.

“I think you answered the question, Putin’s applauding it, so how could it be any good? I’m not being facetious. I’m being deadly earnest,” Biden told Muir. “I’ve seen nothing in the plan that would indicate that there is something that would be beneficial to anyone other than Russia if the Chinese plan were followed.”

“It’s the idea that China is going to be negotiating the outcome of a war that’s a totally unjust war for Ukraine is just not rational,” he continued.

China called for a cease-fire in the Ukraine-Russia war on Thursday and outlined a 12-point plan to negotiate peace. The plan includes ending hostilities, resuming peace talks and addressing the humanitarian crisis the war created.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signaled some openness to China’s proposal, saying that China discussing Ukraine “was not bad” at a press conference on Friday, The Associated Press reported. However, he also said that he disagrees with some of the plan’s proposals, but wants to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier this month that China is “strongly considering” sending Russia “lethal assistance” in its war with Ukraine. The Pentagon warned this week China would face “consequences” if it does provide weapons to Moscow.

Biden visited Ukraine in a surprise trip to the country last week, marking the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion. He then delivered remarks in Poland, promising that the U.S. and other Western allies would continue to support Ukraine throughout the end of the war.