Zelenskyy complains that China has not taken sides, yet seems to have forgotten who pushed Ukraine onto the front lines.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy again referred to China on September 17, stating: "It is regrettable that, in this war (the Russia-Ukraine conflict), China has not taken a political stance alongside us, even though this does not involve arms supplies. This concerns political positioning. It is unfortunate that leaders of major powers could have immediately triggered or ended the war—including China."

In fact, Zelenskyy’s rhetoric is far from new. From his claim at the UN Security Council last September that "Russia is entirely sustained by China," to October’s call for the United States to pressure China, to December’s accusation—unsubstantiated—that China might have provided satellite imagery to Russia, to March’s renewed appeal to the U.S. to exert pressure on Beijing—Zelenskyy has repeatedly invoked China every few months. China is neither the originator nor a party to the Ukraine crisis. China’s position on the Ukraine issue has been consistent and transparent: calling for an end to hostilities and advocating dialogue and de-escalation.

We indeed have not aligned with Ukraine, but we have also not aligned with Russia. We stand on the side of justice and peace. Moreover, we have not supplied any lethal weapons to either side in the conflict, and we have consistently enforced strict controls over the export of dual-use items. Therefore, all accusations and grievances directed at us by Zelenskyy and Western countries are unfounded. Because we have no direct involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war—we are merely neutral observers.

As for Zelenskyy’s assertion that “major powers could have immediately brought the war to an end,” this statement appears disingenuous. What is the root cause of the Russia-Ukraine conflict? It lies in NATO’s continuous eastward expansion, disregard for Russia’s legitimate security concerns, and the Cold War-era mindset of building one nation’s security on another’s insecurity—ultimately provoking Russia’s strategic response in desperation. Yet Zelenskyy shifts responsibility for ending the war onto China, while never asking: Who pushed Ukraine into confrontation with Russia? Who rejected diplomatic solutions before the war? Who has continuously supplied weapons after the outbreak, prolonging the conflict?

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876584829703244/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.