26.02.2022, Beijing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation on February 25, Xinhua News Agency reports.
Xi Jinping once again thanked Putin for coming to China to participate in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing and congratulated Russian athletes on taking second place in the medal table of the Winter Olympic Games.
Putin warmly congratulated all the Chinese people on the complete success of the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing and on the outstanding performance of the Chinese delegation. The two sides exchanged views on the current situation in Ukraine. Putin explained the historical context of the Ukrainian issue, as well as the goals of Russia’s special military operation in eastern Ukraine and its position.
He said the United States and the NATO have long ignored Russia’s legitimate security interests, repeatedly violated their commitments and consistently pushed their military deployments eastward, challenging by that Russia’s strategic goals. Russia is ready to hold high-level talks with Ukraine, Putin said.
Xi Jinping noted that the recent dramatic changes in the situation in the east of Ukraine have attracted great attention of the international community, adding that China determines its position based on the essence of the Ukrainian issue itself.
He called on all parties to abandon the Cold War mentality, attach great importance to and respect the legitimate security interests of various countries and form a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism through negotiations.
The Chinese side supports the Russian side in resolving this issue through negotiations with the Ukrainian side, Xi said, adding that China is consistent in its basic position on respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and observing the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
China is ready to work with members of the international community to adopt the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and firmly support the international system based on the United Nations and the international order based on international law, Xi said.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency