Humanitarian assistance is a better way to curb the refugee crisis, Beijing insists
FILE PHOTO. Volunteers unload stuff received from across the country at a charitable fund centre set up to oversee the distribution of humanitarian supplies to those in need, servicemen and the displaced, Dnipro, Ukraine. © AFP / Emre CAYLAK
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spoke out against US military assistance for Ukraine on Friday, claiming it prevented the restoration of peace and stability in the region. It urged other parties to follow its lead and provide humanitarian aid instead.
“China provides Ukraine with food, milk powder, sleeping bags, quilts, and waterproof mats, but the US offers lethal weapons. It’s not hard for people to judge whether food, sleeping bags, or guns are more essential for local people,” stated Beijing’s official spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, as cited by the Chinese outlet Global Times. He added that China’s humanitarian efforts to support Ukrainian refugees had been widely supported by the international community.
Lijian reproached the US for acting “hypocritically” in the wake of the refugee crisis in Ukraine, calling on the country to “deeply reflect on the root cause.”
Washington has repeatedly asked Beijing to confirm its stance on the offensive. It has urged it to denounce Russia and warned of potential consequences if it provides military help to its neighbor or helps it evade economic sanctions. China has consistently condemned the sanctions, stating its view that they are an ineffective means to resolve security issues. It has encouraged Russia and Ukraine to return to the negotiating table in order to seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
Read more
Russia attacked its neighbor in late February, following a seven-year standoff over Ukraine’s failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements, and Moscow’s eventual recognition of the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. Russia has demanded Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join the US-led NATO military bloc. Kiev insists Moscow’s offensive was completely unprovoked and has denied claims it was planning to retake the two republics by force.
