Interview: U.S., NATO pump weapons to Ukraine for own interests, says Irish EU lawmaker

CHONGQING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- While China presented to the world a peace plan to the Ukraine crisis, "the U.S. and NATO haven't wanted the war to stop" for their own interests, Mick Wallace, a member of the European Parliament (MEP), has said.

"It was good to see China come up with a peace plan," the Irish MEP told Xinhua during his stay in Chongqing, the last stop of his 9-day visit to China.

Wallace, who had also visited Beijing, Xi'an and Chengdu in his first China trip, said that he had the chance to understand more about the country and its people.

"The vast majority of the world are voting for peace, and China finds itself on the same side as most of the global side. That is incredibly significant," he said.

"The U.S. and NATO haven't wanted the war to stop. They stopped peace breaking out... All the NATO countries and the Americans are arming the Ukrainians to the teeth," said Wallace.

"That's helping to keep the war going," he said, stressing that the war only suits the interests of the military-industrial complex, the United States and NATO.

He said that some from Europe "have an arrogance to come here and lecture the Chinese about what you should do and not do when we are actually facilitating the war by pumping weapons into it."

"There is a trend that Europe may undermine its position with China at its own expense," said Wallace, referring to it as "very foolish."

"The Americans want to stall the progress of China, and they want the support of Europe in doing it ... The Americans have been looking to drive a wedge between Europe and China," said the EU lawmaker.

"If they (European countries) are going to make decisions that suit the U.S. empire more than they suit the people of Europe, that would be very sad. But that's what's happening at the moment," he said.

Europe can have "a very healthy relationship with China," and "should not talk about fighting with China," said Wallace. "We should have a relationship that enhances the life of the Europeans and the Chinese."