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China criticized the United States on Monday over “illegal” sanctions imposed on Chinese companies involved with Russia and warned of retaliation if the sanctions are not lifted.
Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a press conference that the US actions have no basis in international law and there is no authorization from the UN Security Council. She said China’s position on Ukraine was objective and fair, and supports peace talks and a political solution.
“But the United States is fanning the flame and fueling the fighting with more weapons,” she said.
China’s Changsha Tianyi Space Science and Technology Research Institute has imposed US sanctions for providing satellite imagery to Ukraine to companies affiliated with the Russian mercenary group Wagner Group. Mao said that the United States is spreading disinformation that China will supply arms to Russia – and is imposing sanctions on Chinese companies under this pretext.
“This is absolute hegemony, double standards and utter hypocrisy,” Mao said. “The Chinese side will continue to do what is necessary to resolutely protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises. We will take resolute countermeasures in response to US sanctions.”
China says its relationship with Russia is solid:Russia’s Economy Ignores Sanctions: Ukraine Live Updates
Developments:
A concert by Slovenia’s avant-garde Liebach band in Ukraine was canceled after the group angered Ukrainians by insinuating that Kiev was at war for its Western masters. Ukrainians were apparently angered by Leibach’s statement describing the war as “a cynical proxy war for the geostrategic interests of world powers”.
The Ukrainian military reported that the occupation authorities installed by Moscow in the towns of Oleshki and Skadovsk in Kherson province are preparing to “flee” to Russian-occupied Crimea, fearing a Ukrainian counterattack.
Putin’s reliance on the American “attention deficit disorder”:Putin hopes Americans will get tired of Ukraine war, CIA chief says: Ukraine Updates
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visits Kiev and pledges financial aid
Days after President Joe Biden’s surprise visit, his top economic official visited Kiev and reiterated the administration’s support for Ukraine.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, announced the first transfer of $1.2 billion as part of a nearly $10 billion package of civilian aid for the embattled country.
“Just as security assistance supports the front lines, I believe that this economic assistance strengthens the home front and, in turn, strengthens the Ukrainian resistance,” she said.
Besides echoing Biden’s words that the United States will stand by Ukraine as long as necessary, Yellen praised Zelensky’s efforts to ensure transparency in how aid to his country is spent.
The UN Secretary-General said the Russian invasion had caused “gross” human rights violations
The head of the United Nations said on Monday that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had caused “the largest human rights abuses” in the world today.
“Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure have caused many casualties and terrible suffering,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a speech to the UN-backed Human Rights Council in Geneva. He added that Russia had “unleashed death, destruction and displacement on a massive scale”.
Russia has largely given up fighting in most of Ukraine, focusing instead on capturing four provinces that Moscow claims it annexed in September: Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhia. The war raged fiercely with heavy casualties on both sides but little action on the front lines. Ukraine says it will use battle tanks and other new weapons to launch its own offensive and retake all occupied territory.
Russia says it will not return Crimea to Ukraine
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Crimea is an integral part of Russia and will never be returned to Ukraine. Russia captured the peninsula in February 2014. In March 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty on the reunification of Crimea with Russia.
The deputy head of Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Service, Vadym Skipetsky, said the planned offensive includes retaking Crimea and launching attacks on Russian territory. “The aim of our counter-offensive is to liberate all the occupied territories of Ukraine – including Crimea,” he told the German newspaper Berliner Morgenpost. We will not stop until we return to our country to the 1991 borders.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday marked the anniversary of Russia’s attack on Crimea. Zelensky vowed to take back Crimea and all Ukrainian territory that Russia has controlled since its invasion 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 bring back the Ukrainian flag to every corner of Ukraine.”
Zelensky dismisses the commander of the commanding forces in Donbass amid a corruption scandal
Zelensky sacked a top military commander, in the latest major move in restructuring Ukraine’s Defense Ministry amid a corruption scandal.
Ukraine’s president gave no explanation on Sunday when he decreed the dismissal of Eduard Moskalyov, the commander of the joint forces operation that is doing battle in the eastern Donbass region.
It is not clear if Moskalyov, who took office in March 2022 shortly after the war began, was part of Zelensky’s anti-corruption campaign set as a condition of Ukraine’s eventual accession to the European Union.
The Ukrainian military has been implicated in two recent cases of alleged wrongdoing, one of which is related to a scheme to buy food for soldiers at inflated prices, which led to the resignation of Deputy Defense Minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov. The other case concerned misappropriation of funds intended for reconstruction.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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