U.S. Wants China Distance Itself Further From Sentiment Against Ex-Soviet Republics' Sovereignty

Washington D.C./25.04.23/Turan:  The Biden administration said on Monday that it would like to see China distance itself from a sentiment that ex-Soviet republics are lacking sovereignty in international relations, as Beijing has been in damage control following its diplomat’s controversial statement, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

Lu Shaye, China's Ambassador to Paris, said last week in an interview aired on French TV that “ex-USSR countries don’t have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialize their sovereign status."

Beijing said Monday it respected the sovereignty of former Soviet Union republics.

"I think we’d certainly like to see them walk further away from that kind of a sentiment," White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said in response to TURAN's questions about the Chinese ambassador's comments.

"I’ll let them speak for themselves, but clearly these are two countries, Russia and China, that are growing closer together in ways that are not in keeping with, certainly, our view of what contributes to peace and security, not only in Europe but around the world; certainly in ways that are inimical to what we believe are our national security interests," Kirby said.

He went on to add, "At this particular time, nobody should be helping Mr. Putin conduct this war or giving him a pass, because this fight in Ukraine, obviously it’s about Ukraine and the Ukrainian people and the violence that had been visited upon them in a completely illegal and unprovoked way by Russia, but it’s also about the idea of sovereignty. I mean, the very ideas enshrined in the UN Charter, which Russia is also a part of the Security Council..."

Kirby was speaking to reporters during a briefing organized by the State Department's Washington Foreign Press Center. TURAN's Washington correspondent also asked him about the Wagner Group and whether the Biden administration was willing to designate Russian mercenaries as "terrorists," as it was requested by the Congress.

"We’ll continue to look at options going forward about how we can continue to hold them accountable and to call out the atrocities that Mr. Prigozhin and his mercenaries are conducting in Ukraine and around the world," Kirby said in response.  "Believe me, we know we have the authorities and the tools available to us to continue to hold him accountable, and we will," he added.

"It’s reprehensible what Mr. Prigozhin seems willing to do – not just in Ukraine, throwing prisoners and convicts at this fight in Bakhmut, but also what – but what he’s doing and trying to do in places like Africa across the continent," Kirby concluded.

Alex Raufoglu