While most diplomats at an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting condemned Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s government for escalating tensions with Ukraine, China’s envoy carefully avoided any mention of Moscow.
"All parties concerned must exercise restraint and avoid any action that may fuel tensions,” Ambassador Zhang Jun said late Monday as part of a six-sentence statement. "The current situation in Ukraine is a result of many complex factors. China always makes its own position, according to the merits of the matter itself.”
The brief remarks contrasted with a lengthy joint statement earlier this month following Putin’s first in-person meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in two years. Afterward, Xi backed Russia’s demand for binding security guarantees from the U.S. and NATO in the standoff over Ukraine — providing vital support for Putin as he confronted the West.