Premier Li Keqiang offers China’s help for ”grave” Ukraine situation

TIL Desk/World/Beijing/ China on Friday expressed deep concern over the worsening situation in Ukraine and offered to help play a “positive role” to restore peace but opposed the US and the EU sanctions against Russia, stating that they will hurt the world economy to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

Premier Li Keqiang, addressing a press conference here at the end of the annual Parliament session, said that China calls for exercising utmost restraint, preventing a massive humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.”In Ukraine, the current situation is grave and China is deeply concerned,” Li said.

The US, the EU and the allied countries have imposed punitive sanctions against Russia covering almost all areas, including de-linking Moscow from the international banking system the SWIFT after the Russian military invaded Ukraine on February 24.

Premier Li, replying to a question on China’s refusal to criticise Russia’s military action against Ukraine, said that utmost efforts should be made to support Russia and Ukraine in carrying forward ceasefire negotiations. China supports all efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis by peaceful means, he said, adding that Beijing will play a positive role. “We sincerely hope that the situation will ease and peace will return at an early date,” he said.