China's call for a ceasefire has gone unheeded in Ukraine. From the US perspective, that would only play into the hands of the Kremlin, which would use the breather to get supplies at the front.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned of a "temporary or unconditional ceasefire" in the war against Ukraine. "Russia will use any lull in the fighting to consolidate control over the illegally captured territory and to build up its armed forces for further attacks," Blinken said at a UN Security Council meeting marking the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Security Council members should therefore not be fooled by calls for a ceasefire, Blinken said. The US Secretary of State did not mention China by name in his speech - but his statements should be understood as a reaction to a position paper presented by China on the settlement of the Ukraine war.
China has called for a ceasefire in the war against Ukraine. A much-anticipated position paper released on the anniversary of the Russian invasion calls for talks to resume soon. "Dialogue and negotiations are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis."
The paper does not ask Russia to leave occupied Ukrainian territory. Ukraine rejected the plan. It's about defending the principles of the UN Charter, Blinken said. Otherwise "the strong would dominate the weak" worldwide. A peace must follow the principles of "sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence". "He has to make sure that Russia can't just rest, rearm and go back to war in a few months or years," Blinken said. There is an aggressor and a victim in this war. "Russia is fighting for conquest. Ukraine is fighting for its freedom. If Russia stops fighting and leaves Ukraine, the war will end."
