Russia, Ukraine Start First Talks Since Moscow Assault
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Russian and Ukrainian delegations on Monday began their first talks since Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine last week, Belarusian state news agency Belta reported.
“Russia and Ukraine are holding the first talks,” Belta said. Ahead of the talks, the Ukrainian presidency had demanded an immediate Russian ceasefire and troop withdrawal.
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Already, Beijing has called for de-escalation and “restraint” over the Ukraine crisis.
Russia invaded on Thursday and quickly announced it had neutralised key Ukrainian military facilities, with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday ordering his country’s nuclear forces onto high alert.
Representatives from Moscow and Kyiv are meeting on the border with Belarus on Monday after Western allies hit Russia with a slew of sanctions and pledged arms for Ukraine.
China has trod a cautious diplomatic tightrope on the crisis as it tries to balance its core foreign policy line — that a country’s sovereignty is sacrosanct and others should not interfere — with its support for close ally Moscow.
Instead, it has called for Russia’s “reasonable” security demands to be heard, repeatedly refusing to condemn Putin’s actions or use the term “invasion”.
Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Monday urged both sides to “remain calm and exercise restraint to prevent further escalation of the situation.”
“China pays close attention to changes in the Ukraine situation and supports all efforts to de-escalate the situation and resolve it politically,” Wang said at a regular press briefing.