New Delhi: As Vladimir Putin’s Russian forces fight in Bakhmut against Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s troops to secure their first major battlefield gain in more than six months, China on Tuesday (March 7, 2023) said that the Ukraine crisis is a tragedy that “could have been avoided”. Speaking on the sidelines of an annual parliament meeting in Beijing, China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang said that the Ukraine crisis seems to be driven by an “invisible hand” pushing for the protraction and escalation of the conflict.
The “invisible hand” is “using the Ukraine crisis to serve certain geopolitical agendas”, he said.
“Conflict, sanctions, and pressure will not solve the problem… The process of peace talks should begin as soon as possible, and the legitimate security concerns of all parties should be respected,” Qin added.
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He also stated that Beijing has not provided weapons to either side of the Ukraine conflict, amid loud warnings from US officials on unspecified “consequences” for China, should it send lethal aid to Russia.
“(China) is not a party to the crisis and has not provided weapons to either side of the conflict. So on what basis is this talk of blame, sanctions, and threats against China? This is absolutely unacceptable,” he told reporters.
“The Ukraine crisis is a tragedy that could have been avoided. But it has come to where it stands today. There are hard lessons that all parties should truly reflect upon,” the new Chinese FM said.
The Ukraine crisis is a tragedy that could have been avoided. But it has come to where it stands today. There are hard lessons that all parties should truly reflect upon. pic.twitter.com/orc0koUwWt— Hua Chunying (@SpokespersonCHN) March 7, 2023
Qin’s reiteration of Beijing’s position on the Ukraine war comes amid growing tensions between Beijing and the European Union, which has questioned China’s sincerity as a mediator when it has refused to name Russia as the aggressor in the conflict.
“China-Russia relationship is based on no alliance and no confrontation, and it is not targeted at any third party. It is not a threat to any country, nor is it subject to any interference or discord sowed by any third party,” Qin said.
“Those who are inclined to view China-Russia relations through the lens of Cold War alliances see nothing but their own image… With China and Russia working together, the world will have the driving force toward multipolarity and greater democracy in international relations, and global strategic balance and stability will be better ensured,” he added.
Qin said that China must advance its relations with Russia as the world becomes more turbulent.
Live: Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang briefs media on foreign policy and external relations #2023TwoSessions https://t.co/aPUM89LDXR
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) March 7, 2023
He said the close interactions between both leaders – President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin – provided the anchor for China-Russia relations.
Ukraine vows to defend Bakhmut city as Russia tries to storm it
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s top generals vowed to keep defending the eastern city of BakhmutPresident Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, as Russian forces fought to tighten their siege and secure their first major battlefield gain in more than six months.
Russian forces have been trying to take Bakhmut for months and say capturing it would be a step towards its objective of seizing all of the surrounding Donbas region. But Western strategists say it would be more of a pyrrhic victory given the time taken and casualties suffered.
Ukrainian troops have been reinforcing positions west of the city in apparent preparation for a possible withdrawal but appear not to have decided to pull out.
Zelenskiy said he discussed Bakhmut with the regional commander and Ukraine’s commander-in-chief and both had said “not to withdraw” and to strengthen defences.
“The command unanimously supported this position. There were no other positions. I told the commander in chief to find the appropriate forces to help our guys in Bakhmut,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly address on Monday.
Vladimir Putin’s Russia initially described its February 24, 2022, invasion as a “special military operation” to “denazify” and demilitarise Ukraine, but now increasingly casts it as a fight against the aggression of the “collective West”.
Ukraine and the West, however, say it is a baseless pretext for an illegal land grab.