China says the United States is creating “fear and panic” over the Ukraine crisis, calling on the Biden administration to immediately start the talks for de-escalation.
During a press conference on Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying stated that her country is opposed to the sanctions imposed by the US and its allies on Russia.
“On the Ukraine issue, unlike the US, which keeps sending weapons to Ukraine, creating fear and panic and even playing up the threat of war, China has been calling on all parties to respect and pay attention to each other’s legitimate security concerns, work together to solve problems through negotiations and consultations, and maintain regional peace and stability," Hua noted.
She further called the West’s sanctions against Russia ineffective, adding that such measures would only aggravate the situation.
“To correctly and objectively understand the Ukraine situation and seek a rational and peaceful solution, it is necessary to understand the merits of the Ukraine issue and properly address relevant countries’ legitimate security concerns on the basis of equality and mutual respect," Hua said.
Pentagon: Russia ready to attack Ukraine ‘at any time’
The comments by Hua come as the US military leaders still insist that Russia is preparing to attack Ukraine.
“We certainly believe that additional Russian military forces are moving into [the Donetsk and Luhansk regions]," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said on Wednesday during a briefing.
“We can't confirm with any great specificity the numbers and what the formations are, what the capabilities are, but we certainly believe that that’s happening,” Kirby added.
“We believe that they are now at a state of readiness where they could attack at any time.”
Ukraine and its Western allies have long accused Russia of planning an invasion by amassing 150,000 troops and armaments along the border of the former Soviet Union country.
Russia has dismissed the claim, saying the military build-up is defensive owing to its security concerns over Ukraine's bid to join the NATO military alliance.
In his remarks on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Kremlin is ready to resolve the current crisis over Ukraine through "diplomatic solutions," but warned the West that his nation's interests were "non-negotiable."