China Opposes Imposition of Sanctions Over Ukraine Crisis

Beijing is against the use of sanctions or the threat of their use in the Ukrainian crisis, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

BEIJING (Sputnik) — On Monday, the European Union extended its economic sanctions against Russia for another six months, citing the failure to fully implement the Minsk peace accords on Ukrainian reconciliation. The decision comes into force on Tuesday.

"China opposes the use of sanctions or the threat of their use in international affairs. China stands for political settlement to the Ukrainian issue," Hong Lei said while commenting on the EU decision.

Relations between Russia and the European Union soured dramatically in 2014, when the bloc joined the United States in accusing Moscow fueling the internal conflict in Ukraine, subsequently imposing several rounds of sanctions as a punitive measure, beginning July 2014.

In February, the leaders of Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine elaborated a set of measures in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, aimed at Ukrainian reconciliation. The deal was signed by representatives of the Kiev government and Donbass independence supporters.

Russia has repeatedly denied having any involvement in the Ukrainian crisis, asserting that sanctions are counterproductive and threaten global stability.