China has called on Ukraine and Russia through diplomatic efforts to contain the war the Russians are waging against the neighboring country. Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday at the UN General Assembly urged all parties concerned to prevent the “crisis” from spreading further.
A peaceful solution to the conflict is necessary, Yi said, adding that talks between Kiev and Moscow are needed that take into account “justified security concerns”.
Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Hastily organized referendums on joining the Russian Federation have been underway in the occupied territories of eastern and southern Ukraine since Friday. UN chief António Guterres has called the annexation of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions a violation of the international legal order.
The Russian foreign minister, who spoke after Yi, dismissed criticism of the plebiscites in the regions concerned. According to Sergei Lavrov, that anger about this is not justified because the ancestors of the people there have lived in Russia for centuries. He threw the West, the US first, before wanting to divide the world into blocs. “You are for or you are against us”. Lavrov also warned the Americans to “play with fire” on Taiwan.