China Condemns EU’s New Russia Sanctions, Urges Dialogue as “Only Viable Way” to End War

China sharply criticized the European Union on Thursday over its latest sanctions against Russia, insisting that dialogue and negotiation remain the “only viable way” to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing “firmly opposes” the EU’s decision and has lodged “serious protests with the EU side.” His remarks came after Brussels adopted its 19th sanctions package targeting Russian banks, cryptocurrency exchanges, and entities in India and China. “As we have stressed on multiple occasions, China is not the creator of the current crisis, nor a party to it,” Guo said.

He emphasized that China “has never provided lethal weapons to any party to the conflict” and strictly controls exports of dual-use goods. Guo urged the EU to “stop making an issue about China” and avoid actions that “undermine China’s interests,” warning that such moves “are not conducive to the sound and steady development of China-EU ties.” Referring to the US sanctions a day earlier on Rosneft and Lukoil, Guo added, “Coercion and putting pressure on others will not solve any problem.”