China blames the U.S. as the world responds to the Ukraine crisis

Politicians all over the world responded to the unfolding crisis in Ukraine Thursday. While western nations are voicing support for Ukraine, China is defending Russia and blaming the United States.

"It is irresponsible to add fuel to the flames on the one hand while blaming those who fight the fire on the other hand," China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters, according to Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece China Daily.

Hua accused the United States of heightening tensions in Europe, but she said China believes diplomacy is still an option.

"When the US, in violation of its agreement with Russia, expanded the North Atlantic Treaty Organization eastward five times to the doorstep of Russia and deployed a large amount of offensive military weapons, have they ever considered the consequences of cornering a major power to a desperate situation?" she asked, according to the state-ran outlet.

"Russia's security concerns should be valued and resolved," she said and then criticized sanctions on Russia by the United States.

"But did the US sanctions solve any problem? Does the world become better because of the US sanctions? Will the Ukraine issue be naturally resolved thanks to US sanctions? Will European security be better guaranteed with the US sanctions against Russia?" Hua asked.

Another Chinese Communist Party-ran outlet, the Global Times, reports that China is looking to promote peace in the region and blames the United States for Russian aggression.

"China believes that the door to a peaceful solution to the Ukraine issue has not been completely closed and should not be closed. At present, to avoid intensifying conflicts, China will continue to promote peace and talks in its own way," China's UN ambassador Zhang Jun said, according to the Global Times.

"I believe Russia's military operation is a reaction of Moscow toward Western countries' exerting pressure on Russia for a long time, showing that Moscow can't tolerate anymore," Chinese Social Sciences research fellow Yang Jin told the Global Times.

Some in the west have voiced concerns that China will now look to invade Taiwan after seeing the effects of Russia's incursion into Ukraine.

Global Times commentator Hu Xijin asserted his belief that "unification" between Taiwan and mainland China is inevitable in a tweet responding to Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen.

"Taiwan condemns Russia’s infringement on Ukrainian sovereignty & encourages all parties involved to resolve their disputes rationally & peacefully," President Tsai tweeted. "Meanwhile, we will take steps to bolster our military readiness & counter cognitive warfare while ensuring economic stability."

Hu replied: "When unification with Taiwan will happen has nothing to do with Ukraine situation. There will be suspense as to when and how, but no suspense with the unification result. Anyone stupid enough to think that Taiwan will be separated from the mainland for ever?"

The Global Times also announced that China will accept all healthy imported wheat from Russia. Together, Ukraine and Russia exported more than a quarter of the world's wheat in 2019, Observatory of Economic Complexity reports.

"The move is a boost to Russian agricultural exports to China and was agreed in a deal in early Feb," the Global Times stated, showing the strengthening ties between the two countries.

Iran has taken a similar approach to China by blaming the west and urging diplomacy.

"The #Ukraine crisis is rooted in NATO's provocations. We don't believe that resorting to war is a solution," Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian tweeted, adding that it is "Imperative to establish ceasefire & to find a political and democratic resolution."

António Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations called for the invasion to end.

"Under the present circumstances, I must change my appeal: President Putin, in the name of humanity, bring your troops back to Russia," he tweeted. "This conflict must stop now."