BEIJING: Russia and China called for a lasting settlement to Moscow's war on Ukraine in a joint statement issued after talks on Wednesday between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Criticism of attacks on Iran was in the same joint statement, Moscow and Beijing also called for negotiations to resolve the conflict in the Middle East and criticised US and Israeli strikes on Iran. "US and Israeli military strikes on Iran violate international law and the basic norms of international relations, significantly undermining stability in the Middle East," the statement said.
The two sides said it was necessary to prevent the conflict from expanding further and called on the international community to support de-escalation efforts. They also called for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and unrestricted humanitarian access for civilians there. Condemnation of foreign intervention was in a separate statement that also outlined their broader view of the global order, Putin and Xi condemned what they described as the "law of the jungle" in international politics.
"The parties note that actions such as treacherous military strikes against other countries ... the killing of representatives of the leadership of sovereign states ... and the brazen abduction of national leaders for the purpose of a sham trial grossly violate the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and international law," the statement said. The declaration did not explicitly mention US President Donald Trumpand his military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and put him on trial in New York. Russia and China also agreed to promote what they described as a"multipolar world order." — dpa
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