Support The Moscow Times!

China Calls on U.S to Lift Russia Sanctions to Resolve Ukraine Invasion

Zhao Lijian. Roman Pilipey / EPA / TASS

China has called on the United States to lift sanctions against Russia, claiming it will help resolve Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that the U.S. should stop threatening Moscow with sanctions if they wanted to see progress in Russia-Ukraine peace talks. 

“If the United States is truly interested in resolving the Ukrainian crisis, they should stop brandishing the sanctions card,” Zhao said at a briefing Wednesday. 

Zhao has previously criticized the West’s decision to impose sanctions on Russia, stating that China “always opposes unilateral sanctions.” Another spokesperson from the Chinese Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. of “profiting from the chaos” of the ongoing war. 

 

The White House announced on Wednesday that Washington, the G7 and the European Union are readying another round of sanctions targeting Russian banks and officials. They will also ban new investment in Russia.

The move is a response to continued shelling of cities Mariupol and Kharkhiv, as well as civilian killings in the formerly Russian-occupied town of Bucha — acts that Kyiv and its allies have called war crimes by Russian forces. 

Despite calls from Ukrainian officials, China has repeatedly refused to condemn Russia’s offensive on its pro-Western neighbor, instead seeking to preserve trade links and hosting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week. 

But in his comments on Wednesday, Zhao called the reports of civilian deaths in Bucha "deeply disturbing."

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more