New Delhi: As Vladimir Putin’s Russian forces fight in Bakhmut against Volodymyr Zelensky’s troops to secure their first major battlefield gains in more than six months, China said on Tuesday (March 7, 2023) that the Ukraine crisis was a tragedy. which “could have been avoided”. Speaking on the sidelines of an annual parliament meeting in Beijing, China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang said the Ukraine crisis is driven by an “invisible hand” that prompts and escalates the conflict.
The “invisible hand” is “using the Ukraine crisis to fulfill some geopolitical agenda”, he said.
Qin said, “Conflict, sanctions and pressure will not solve the problem… The process of peace talks should start as soon as possible and the legitimate security concerns of all sides should be respected.”
He also said Beijing has not provided weapons to either side of the Ukraine conflict, amid loud warnings from US officials over unspecified “consequences” for China should it send lethal aid to Russia.
He told reporters, “(China) is not a party to the crisis and has not provided weapons to both sides of the conflict. So on what basis are these accusations, sanctions and threats against China? This is absolutely unacceptable.”
The new Chinese foreign minister said, “The Ukraine crisis is a tragedy that could have been avoided. But it has come to where it stands today. There are difficult lessons that all parties should genuinely consider.”
The Ukraine crisis is an avoidable tragedy. But it has reached where it stands today. There are hard lessons that all parties really need to consider. pic.twitter.com/orc0koUwWt— Hua Chunying (@SpokespersonCHN) March 7, 2023
Qin’s reiteration of Beijing’s position on the Ukraine war comes amid rising tensions between Beijing and the European Union, which has raised questions about China’s sincerity as a mediator after it refused to name Russia as the aggressor in the conflict. Is done.
Qin said, “China-Russia relations are not based on any alliance and any confrontation, and it is not aimed at any third party. It is not a threat to any country, nor is it the interference or subject to discord.” Said.
“Those who are inclined to view Sino-Russian relations through the prism of Cold War alliances see nothing but their own image… With China and Russia working together, multipolarity in the world and international relations are more will be the driving force toward democracy,” and global strategic balance and stability will be better ensured.”
Qin said that China should pursue its ties with Russia as the world becomes more turbulent.
Live: Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang briefs the media on foreign policy and external relations #2023 season two https://t.co/aPUM89LDXR— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) March 7, 2023
He said the close talks between the two leaders – President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin – provided an anchor for China-Russia ties.
Ukraine vows to defend Bakhmut city as Russia tries to storm it
During this, Ukraine’s top generals vow to defend eastern city of BakhmutPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said, as Russian forces fought to reinforce their siege and secure their first major battlefield gains in more than six months.
The Russian military has been trying to take Bakhmut for months and says that capturing it would be a step towards its objective of annexing the surrounding Donbass region. But Western strategists say it will be a pyrrhic victory given the time it took and the casualties.
Ukrainian troops are consolidating positions west of the city in preparation for a possible withdrawal, but appear not to have decided to pull out.
Zelensky said he discussed Bakhmut with the regional commander and the commander-in-chief of Ukraine and that both had asked “not to retreat” and to strengthen defenses.
In his nightly address on Monday, Zelensky said, “The command unanimously supported this position. There were no other positions. I asked the commander in chief to find suitable forces to help our people in Bakhmut.”
Vladimir Putin’s Russia initially described its February 24, 2022 invasion as a “special military operation” to “demoralize” and demilitarize Ukraine, but now increasingly describes it as a “collective West” aggressiveness. Presents as a fight against.
However, Ukraine and the West say this is a baseless excuse for an illegal land grab.