China slammed the United States on Monday for “illegal” sanctions placed on Chinese companies involved with Russia and warned of retaliation if the sanctions are not revoked.
Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, told a press briefing that the U.S. actions have no basis in international law and no U.N. Security Council mandate. She said China’s position on Ukraine has been objective and fair, promoting peace talks and a political solution.
“The U.S., however, has been fanning the flame and fueling the fight with more weaponry,” she said.
The Chinese company Changsha Tianyi Space Science and Technology Research Institute drew U.S. sanctions for supplying the Russian mercenary Wagner Group affiliates with satellite imagery of Ukraine. Mao said the U.S. has been spreading disinformation that China would supply weapons to Russia – and sanctioning Chinese companies under that pretext.
“This is out-and-out hegemonism and double standard, and absolute hypocrisy,” Mao said. “The Chinese side will continue to do what is necessary to firmly safeguard the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies. We will take resolute countermeasures in response to the U.S. sanctions.”
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Developments:
►A concert by Slovenia’s avant-garde band Laibach in Ukraine has been canceled after the group angered Ukrainians by implying that Kyiv was a fighting a war for its Western masters. Ukrainians apparently were angered by Laibach’s statement calling the war “a cynical proxy war for the geostrategic interests” of world powers.
►Moscow-installed occupying authorities in Kherson Oblast’s towns of Oleshky and Skadovsk are preparing to “escape” to the Russian-occupied Crimea, fearing a Ukrainian counteroffensive, the Ukraine military reported.
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Russian invasion trigger ‘massive’ human rights violations, UN chief says
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered “the most massive violations of human rights” in the world today, the head of the United Nations said Monday.
“Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure have caused many casualties and terrible suffering,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said in a speech to the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council in Geneva. He added that Russia “has unleashed widespread death, destruction and displacement.” .
Russia has mostly abandoned the fight in much of Ukraine, instead concentrating on capturing four provinces that Moscow claims to have annexed in September — Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia. The war that rages fiercely with heavy casualties on both sides but little movement in the frontlines. Ukraine says it will use battle tanks and other new weapons to launch its own offensive and reclaim all occupied territory.
Russia says it will never return Crimea to Ukraine
Crimea is an integral part of Russia and will never be returned to Ukraine, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday. Russia seized the peninsula in February 2014. In March 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty on Crimea’s reunification with Russia.
The deputy head of the Ukrainian military intelligence service, Vadym Skibitsky, said a planned offensive includes the recapture of Crimea and attacks on Russian territory. “The purpose of our counter-offensive is to liberate all occupied territories of Ukraine – including Crimea,” he told the German paper Berliner Morgenpost. “We won’t stop until we have our country back in the 1991 borders.”
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday marked the anniversary of Russia’s assault on Crimea. Zelenskyy has pledge to win back Crimea and all Ukraine territory controlled by Russia since its invasion began a year ago.
“9 years ago, Russian aggression began in Crimea. By returning Crimea, we will restore peace,” he said on social media. “This is our land. Our people. Our history. We will return the Ukrainian flag to every corner of Ukraine.”
Contributing: The Associated Press
