Ukraine to China: Responsibility for aggression lies only with Russia

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said this in a comment seen by Ukrinform.

According to him, the responsibility for armed aggression against Ukraine lies solely with the Russian Federation, which in 2014 occupied Crimea and part of Donbas and in February 2022 started an unprovoked all-out war.

"It is important to face the truth: the international community was forced to impose sanctions on the Russian Federation in order to deprive it of the possibility of further waging war and to hold it accountable for the crimes it committed," Nikolenko said.

He expressed hope that China, as a responsible member of the international community, consistently defending the principles of peace and respect for international law, would not politicize the issue of Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

"We expect that instead, Beijing will use its influence on Moscow to make it end the war and return to respect for the UN Charter and international law, the fundamental principles of which are the non-use of force and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of foreign states," the diplomat said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Tuesday called the United States "the one who started the Ukraine crisis and the biggest factor fueling it."