China seeks action to end rising Ukraine crisis as Putin gives order for military operation
- ‘We believe that the door to a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian issue is not completely closed and should not be closed’, says China’s envoy to the UN
- The US, European Union and Nato all condemned Russia while China’s foreign ministry said it was watching the situation closely
“The situation in Ukraine is at a critical moment and China is highly concerned about it … All parties concerned must exercise restraint and avoid further escalation of tensions. We believe that the door to a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian issue is not completely closed and should not be closed,” Zhang said.
“China calls on all parties to recognise the importance of implementing the principle of indivisible security, to continue to engage in dialogue and consultation and to seek reasonable solutions that address each other’s concerns through peaceful means, on the basis of equality and mutual respect.”
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying later said, “China is closely watching the development and is urging all parties to exercise restraint to prevent the situation from getting out of control”.
Tensions over Ukraine escalated on Thursday as Putin said he had authorised a special operation in breakaway areas of eastern Ukraine and clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces were only a matter of time.
“I have made the decision of a military operation,” he said in a surprise statement on television shortly before 6am Moscow time.