Washington wants China to “use its influence” with Moscow to push diplomacy over Ukraine
US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland has called on China to press Russia towards a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis. Beijing has already pushed back on the American position by acknowledging Moscow’s “legitimate security concerns.”
The move comes amid a flurry of diplomacy around the situation in Eastern Europe.
“We are calling on Beijing to use its influence with Moscow to urge diplomacy, because if there is a conflict in the Ukraine it is not going to be good for China either,” Nuland said at a State Department news conference on Thursday. “There will be a significant impact on the global economy. There will be a significant impact in the energy sphere.”
The United States called on China to use its influence with Russia to urge a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis https://t.co/EJUb4q7c4C pic.twitter.com/4W1rzWFloH
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 27, 2022
Just one day earlier, Secretary of State Antony Blinken phoned his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, to request his aid countering what the American official called “Russian aggression” toward Ukraine. According to Chinese state media, Wang instead urged Blinken to cease “interference” in China’s affairs and to respect Moscow’s “legitimate security concerns.”
Russia’s concerns include securing a promise from the US and NATO to refrain from expanding the alliance further toward its borders, as well as reducing the number of NATO missiles in the region.