Russia has acknowledged China's proposal for a political solution to the conflict in Ukraine, but said that the conditions for peace were not currently in place. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia "paid a lot of attention to China's plan", but added that they "did not see any of the necessary conditions for peace at this time", reported news agency AFP.
China has attempted to remain neutral in the conflict while maintaining a close relationship with its ally Russia. Last week, Beijing released a 12-point paper outlining steps to end the war in Ukraine, which included respect for all countries' territorial sovereignty.
While the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed gratitude for China's efforts, it also stated that any settlement must recognize Russia's control over four Ukrainian regions: Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Although Russia claims to have annexed these regions, it has never had full control over them, according to AFP.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed the need for his country to work with China, saying that he believed China respected Ukraine's territorial integrity and security issues. He also noted that only a country whose territory was under attack could initiate peace initiatives.
The release of China's proposal comes amid Western accusations that China is considering arming Russia, an accusation that Beijing has dismissed as false. The conflict in Ukraine remains ongoing, and a peaceful resolution has yet to be achieved.
Meanwhile, China on Monday lashed out at the United States' sanctions on Chinese companies that were part of an effort to target the Russian private military contractor Wagner Group and its affiliates. The Chinese government called the sanctions "illegal" and accused the US of engaging in "outright bullying and double standards".
British media outlet The Guardian reported that Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Monday stated that the sanctions "have no basis in international law or authorization from the Security Council and are typical illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction". Mao went on to say that the sanctions were "seriously harming China's interests", and China "strongly rejects and deplores that and has lodged solemn complaints with the US side".
Mao further noted that while the US has been increasing its efforts to provide weapons to one side of the conflict, resulting in an ongoing war, it has frequently spread false information about China's supply of weapons to Russia and used the opportunity to impose sanctions on Chinese companies for no reason. She described this behaviour as "outright bullying and double standards".
The US has imposed sanctions on Changsha Tianyi Space Science and Technology Research Institute, a Chinese company, also known as Spacety China, for providing satellite imagery of Ukraine to support the Wagner group's combat operations for Russia. The US also targeted a Luxembourg-based subsidiary of Spacety China.