Russia-Ukraine war: Chinese Embassy in Ukraine advises its nationals to stay at home

The Chinese embassy in Ukraine on Thursday, 24 February, advised its nationals in Ukraine to stay at home. China's embassy in Kyiv called on the Chinese nationals to maintain calm and ensure personal security in Ukraine, Global Times reported. The call from the Chinese side to its citizens in Ukraine came as the Russian President announced a military operation in the Donbass region. 

Earlier at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine, China called on all parties to exercise restraint and avert further escalation of tensions. China's ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun hoped for a peaceful solution to the tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Speaking at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine, Zhang Jun stressed that China has been closely watching the situation.

He also pointed out that there is a complex historical context of the issue on many occasions and insisted that the current situation was caused due to "interplay of many factors." He reiterated China's stance on protecting the "sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States." Furthermore, Zhang Jun expressed hope that all the parties will remain "rational" and resolve the issues through negotiations and address the legitimate security concerns of each other.

"The situation in Ukraine is at a critical juncture. China has been playing close attention to the situation. In the current context, all parties concerned should exercise restraints and avoid the further escalation of tensions. We believe that a door to a peaceful solution to the Ukraine issue is not fully shut, nor should it be shut," Zhang Jun said at the UNSC meeting on Ukraine. 

Russian President announces military operation in Donbass 

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine's Donbass region. In his address, Putin said that the decision of military action has been taken to demilitarise Ukraine and protect people who have been suffering genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years, according to ANI. Putin added, "For this, we will aim for demilitarisation and de-Nazification of Ukraine."He warned other countries that any attempt to intervene in Russian military action would result in "consequences you have never experienced before." The announcement of Russian President Vladimir Putin came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia will not pose threat to Ukraine. 

Inputs from ANI

Image: AP