Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China Mao Ning reacted to Russia’s threats to carry out systematic and consistent strikes on facilities in Kyiv. She called on the relevant parties to refrain from intensifying hostilities and create conditions for the resumption of negotiations.
“China’s position on the Ukrainian crisis is consistent and clear. We consider dialogue and negotiations to be the only viable way to resolve the conflict,” Mao Ning said.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China also stressed that Beijing supports the earliest possible reduction of tensions. At the same time, she did not give a direct answer to the question about the possible evacuation of diplomats from the Chinese Embassy in Kyiv.
“We call on the relevant parties to jointly make efforts to stop the escalation as soon as possible and create conditions for the resumption of dialogue and negotiations,” Mao Ning noted.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stated that the Russian Armed Forces were allegedly launching systematic strikes on facilities in Kyiv, which, according to Moscow, are used for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as on so-called decision-making centers.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also announced recommendations for the evacuation of diplomatic personnel from Kyiv, addressed to the US and other states. Marco Rubio later called the assumption that Russia had called on Washington to withdraw US embassy staff from the Ukrainian capital an exaggeration.
Ukraine and its partners condemned Moscow’s threats and announced the continuation of diplomatic missions in Kyiv. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called such statements blackmail and called on partners to increase support for Ukraine.
