China on Wednesday called on Ukraine and Russia to start peace talks, hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin escalated the war by mobilizing conscripts to join the fight. “We call on the parties concerned to resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation and find a solution that satisfies the legitimate security concerns of all parties,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Wang Wenbin told reporters. “We also hope that the international community will create conditions and space for this.” Ukrainian soldiers sit in infantry fighting vehicles as they drive near Izyum, in eastern Ukraine, on September 16, 2022. (Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images) BIDEN AT UN SPEECH ACCUSES RUSSIA OF ‘EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT’ VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL CHARTER Wenbin’s comments echoed talking points Beijing has floated since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly seven months ago, accusing the West of prolonging the war without taking Russia’s alleged security concerns seriously. When asked about China’s position on Russia’s announcement this week that it plans to hold “referendums” on annexing at least four regions to Ukraine, including Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, Wenbin said its stance Beijing was “consistent and clear”. “We believe that all countries deserve respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity, that the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter must be upheld, that the legitimate security concerns of any country must be taken seriously,” he added. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022. (Alexandr Demyanchuk, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) PUTIN STARTS PENSION TO BOOST MILITARY INVASION AS UKRAINE FIGHTS BACK China has consistently refused to condemn Russia’s war and called on the international community to “take seriously” Russia’s expressed security concerns, particularly with regard to NATO. Putin has sought to justify his “special military operation” in Ukraine by saying it was a necessary measure to ensure Ukraine does not join NATO, which he sees as a major threat to Russia. President Biden rejected those claims on Wednesday at the 77th UN General Assembly, saying: “No one has threatened Russia and no one other than Russia has sought conflict.” Chinese President Xi Jinping talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the SCO summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022. (Alexandr Demyanchuk, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) “Putin’s own words make his real purpose unmistakable,” Biden said. “Just before he invaded, Putin claimed and I quote: ‘Ukraine was created by Russia and has never had a real state.’” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday warned against expanding ties between Russia and China amid the war in Ukraine and said the threat it poses to Western nations is becoming “closer.” “China is becoming an increasingly important part of the security environment that we have to respond to,” he said. “This increases the importance of NATO allies standing together and realizing that China is part of the security challenges we face today and in the future.” Caitlin McFall is a reporter for Fox News Digital. She can be reached at [email protected] or @ctlnmcfall on Twitter.
