Wednesday March 22, 2023
Response to Xi’s visit to Moscow USA: China no neutral mediator in Ukraine war
Kirby accuses China of spreading Russian propaganda.
(Photo: AP)
According to the US administration, China is not fit to act as a neutral mediator between Russia and Ukraine. The reason is the proximity to Kremlin chief Putin. So far, Washington has not seen any signs that Beijing is supplying weapons to Moscow.
The United States does not see China as an “impartial” mediator between Moscow and Kiev in the Ukraine war. “I don’t think China can be considered impartial in any way,” White House spokesman for the National Security Council John Kirby told reporters. Beijing has not condemned the Russian invasion and continues to buy Russian oil, Kirby stressed.
Kirby also accused Beijing of relaying Russian propaganda that the war in Ukraine was the result of Western aggression. If China wants to play a constructive role in this conflict, then President Xi Jinping should urge Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine. Instead, Xi did not even visit Ukraine.
Referring to the meeting between Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and Xi, who hailed the entry into a “new era” of their “special” relationship in Moscow on Tuesday, Kirby said the two have no true alliance but are through a “marriage of convenience” with each other tied together. Putin sees China as a “potential supporter”.
Beijing and Moscow “want to change the rules” that govern the international order, Kirby said. However, the US would maintain communication channels with China and US President Joe Biden still plans to speak to Xi, Kirby added – without giving further details.
With regard to possible arms deliveries from China to Russia, Kirby again said that the US government has not seen any signs of this so far. “We don’t think China has taken it off the table, but they haven’t moved in that direction.”
Those: ntv.de
jpe/AFP/dpa
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