China accuse United States of America as the mastermind behind the escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
China’s accusations came shortly after the US imposed sanctions on Russia over Ukraine, notably Russia’s recognition of the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk earlier this week.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the US sanctions “raised tensions, created panic, and even played with war.”
“If someone pours fuel on the fire while blaming someone else, then that behavior is irresponsible and immoral,” Hua continued, referring to the US, as quoted by Reuters. AFP on Wednesday (23/2).
In addition, Hua said China had urged all parties to respect each other’s security concerns.
Hua also said that China supports resolving this issue through negotiations and consultations, as well as helping to maintain stability and peace in the region.
Asked if China would impose sanctions on Russia, Hua said Beijing believed “sanctions have never been an effective and fundamental way to solve problems.”
Beijing itself had warned residents in Ukraine to avoid an “unstable” region.
The US decided to freeze the assets of two Russian banks Vnesheconombank (VEB) and state bank Promsvyazbank (PSB). Both banks are considered to play an important role in the economy and military power of Russia.
In addition, the US President, Joe Biden, stressed that the sanctions against Russia are only the first US response to Moscow’s provocative actions against Ukraine.
Biden said more sanctions would be imposed if Russia continued its aggression against Ukraine.
Biden also said he would continue to send weapons to Ukraine to defend itself against a Russian invasion. He also deployed US troops to support the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in eastern Europe.
“Let me be clear, this is a defensive move on our part,” Biden said in a televised address at the White House.
(pwn / rds)
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