The diplomat’s statements are striking, because Chinese leader Xi Jinping himself has often said that although China is an ally of Russia, China is also against the occupation of a sovereign country. “That led to a diplomatic disaster,” says Hammelburg.
“The solution to this stupidity is that the Chinese ambassador to the EU has now said that European countries, like all other countries, are very good friends with China.” According to Hammelburg a ‘comic solution’. “It would have been better if it had been said that the diplomat had been mistranslated.”
The storm has abated anyway, Hammelburg thinks. ‘The West would like China to take more action against its ally Russia. And that just doesn’t happen. They also want Xi to talk to Zelensky, which hasn’t happened yet. But if China doesn’t officially take sides – when for a while it seemed it did – then a small gain has been made.’
Drone attack in Crimea
Russian sources today report an attack by Ukrainian drones in Crimea. According to the Russians, they were two drones shot down by anti-aircraft fire. For now, this is reported only from Russia. “Ukraine says nothing, but in this case I tend to believe the Russians,” Hammelburg stresses. “I think there was an attack on the Crimea. And this is interesting because we have been waiting for a Ukrainian offensive for a long time. It’s not going to be a big front going forward, but it’s going to be mostly these types of pin pricks.’
United Nations Security Council
Today, Russia officially assumes the presidency of the United Nations Security Council from Mozambique. In preparation for this, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has traveled to various South American countries. At 16 (Dutch time) he will chair the Security Council meeting in New York.
During his UN speech, Lavrov will emphasize that the world is no longer a ‘unipolar world, but a multipolar world,’ Hammelburg says. “In other words, Russia and China are just as important as the United States.”