Beijing: China is deeply grieved to see the outbreak of conflict between Ukraine and Russia and “extremely concerned” over civilian casualties, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has told his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba and called on Kyiv and Moscow to resolve the raging crisis through negotiations.
The two ministers spoke for the first time on the phone on Tuesday since violence broke out in Ukraine following an attack from Russia.
Wang said that the situation in Ukraine has changed rapidly and that China laments the outbreak of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and is “extremely concerned” with the harm to civilians, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
In expressing serious concern over the harm to civilians, Wang, however, was careful not to blame Russia, whose President Vladimir Putin has launched “special military operation” against Ukraine and instead said, according to Foreign Ministry press release, China is “deeply grieved to see the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and highly concerned about the damage done to civilians”.
Asked by a Russian journalist on Wednesday at the Chinese Foreign Ministry briefing about Kuleba’s remarks that Ukraine looked forward to China’s mediation efforts for the ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia and whether China is willing to take some concrete measures toward this end, Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Beijing backed diplomatic efforts.
“China always supports and encourages all diplomatic efforts that are conducive to the peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis and welcomes Russia and Ukraine’s effort to start peace talks,” Wang Wenbin said.
“We hope both sides will continue to maintain the process of dialogue and negotiation, and seek a political solution that accommodates the legitimate security concerns of both sides. China will continue to play a constructive role in promoting the de-escalation of the situation in Ukraine,” he said.
Ever since Russia launched military operations in Ukraine, China, a close ally of Russia, is walking a fine line by airing its concerns but not condemning Moscow’s military offensive.
On Tuesday, outlining China’s stand, Wang Wenbin told a media briefing here that Moscow’s “legitimate security demands” ought to be taken seriously and properly addressed for a political settlement to resolve the Ukrainian crisis.
Refusing to criticise Russia’s military action, which has entered a decisive phase with thousands of Russian troops massed on the outskirts of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, Wang Wenbin called for a “political settlement that accommodates both sides’ legitimate security concerns, achieves common security in Europe and promotes Europe’s lasting peace and stability.”
“The Cold War mentality should be discarded completely. The legitimate security concerns of all countries should be respected. Given NATO’s five consecutive rounds of eastward expansion, Russia’s legitimate security demands ought to be taken seriously and properly addressed,” Wang Wenbin said.
PTI