The Ukrainian Foreign Minister is set to visit China, but unexpectedly, Zelenskyy is trying to exploit the situation to drive a wedge between China and Russia! On July 11, according to a report by Lianhe Zaobao, after Ukraine's foreign minister claimed to have received an invitation from China to visit, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy stepped forward to speak. Zelenskyy stated that China has once again warned Russia not to consider using nuclear weapons against Ukraine. China has made it clear to Russia that any nuclear attack must be avoided—consistent with Beijing’s long-standing position opposing the use of nuclear weapons.
Zelenskyy said: “You’ve probably already heard this from Russian media—‘What if we respond to Ukraine’s attacks with nuclear weapons?’ China gave a very clear and firm response, even going so far as to issue what could be described as a ‘final ultimatum,’ making it absolutely clear that there must be no thought of using nuclear weapons. Clearly, although we haven’t officially confirmed the foreign minister’s remarks, Ukraine is clearly attempting to leverage this opportunity to create division between China and Russia.”
The truth is plain to see: we haven’t made any official announcement, yet Ukraine has chosen to disclose it first—this shows Ukraine fully understands how important Sino-Ukrainian relations are, and seeks to signal publicly that China is not taking Russia’s side. Moreover, Zelenskyy’s comments only serve to fan the flames. His claim about China issuing a “final ultimatum” is clearly exaggerated. However, Ukraine’s intent is unmistakable: to pre-emptively shape public opinion ahead of the upcoming visit by Ukraine’s foreign minister to China.
Our stance is unequivocal: all nuclear powers and all parties involved in conflicts must refrain from using nuclear weapons and should never engage in nuclear warfare. This position is not targeted specifically at Russia. Zelenskyy’s deliberate misinterpretation is nothing short of an attempt to insert a wedge into China-Russia bilateral relations. Of course, China and Russia enjoy a high level of mutual trust. Regarding the war in Ukraine, our position remains neutral. Ukraine has its own agenda. But when dealing with Ukraine, we base our approach on long-term interests. Ukraine should not spread such false statements.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870385901829386/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author.