China urges ‘calm’ after Putin decree on broader use of nuclear weapons

BEIJING - China on Nov 20 urged “calm” and “restraint” after Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a nuclear threat, and Ukraine fired longer-range US missiles at Russian territory for the first time.

Moscow has reacted furiously to a decision by US President Joe Biden to

change the country’s policy on Ukraine

and allow Kyiv to use US-supplied long-range missiles to strike Russian territory.

On Nov 19, Mr Putin signed a decree that enables Moscow to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states such as Ukraine if they are supported by nuclear powers.

Following the decree, a senior official told AFP that a strike on Russia’s Bryansk region earlier on Nov 19 “was carried out by ATACMS missiles” – a reference to the US-supplied Army Tactical Missile System.

On Nov 20, Beijing called for a cooling of tensions.

When asked about the decree and the strikes inside Russia, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said: “Under the current circumstances, all parties should remain calm and exercise restraint, working together through dialogue and consultation to ease tensions and reduce strategic risks.”

He added: “China’s stance of encouraging all parties to de-escalate the situation and commit to a political resolution of the Ukraine crisis remains unchanged.”

He also said: “China will continue to play a constructive role in this regard.”

The White House, Britain and the European Union condemned Mr Putin’s nuclear decree as “irresponsible”.

Speaking to journalists after

the Group of 20 summit in Rio de Janeiro

, French leader Emmanuel Macron said he had asked Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting at the G-20 to “use all his influence” with Mr Putin to try to achieve a de-escalation.

Mr Macron said Russian ally China had “the capacity to negotiate with President Putin so that he halts his attacks” on Ukraine.

China presents itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine war and says it is not sending lethal assistance to either side, unlike the US and other Western nations.

But it remains a close political and economic ally of Russia, and Nato members have branded Beijing a “decisive enabler” of the war, which it has never condemned. AFP