China today called on the US and NATO to engage in dialogue with Russia to “remove the root cause of the crisis in Ukraine.”
According to Chinese public television CGTN, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a press conference that “the US and NATO should engage in dialogue with Russia to address the root cause of the Ukraine crisis.”
“To resolve the crisis, we need rationality and calmness, not fire. To restore peace, we need dialogue, not coercion, and for long-term stability, group confrontation will not work,” Wang was quoted as saying by the Global Times.
He said allegations that China is spreading disinformation about the situation in Ukraine “is itself disinformation.”
“China is taking an objective and reasonable position, calling for an early ceasefire and preventing a humanitarian crisis,” he added.
On Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO allies fear that China will provide material support for the war with Russia.
NATO leaders are expected to call on Belarus to end its involvement in the war and China to “fulfill its obligations as a member of the UN Security Council, refrain from supporting Russia’s military efforts and join the rest of the world.” an immediate peaceful end to this war,” Stoltenberg said.
The Russian-Ukrainian war, which began on February 24, sparked international outrage as the EU, US and UK, among others, imposed tough financial sanctions on Moscow.
The UN estimates that at least 977 civilians have died and 1,594 have been injured in Ukraine to date. However, she warned that the exact number of casualties was likely much higher, as she was unable to gain access to areas of increased fighting.
More than 3.6 million Ukrainians have also fled to neighboring countries, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.