Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday said sanctions are not effective ways to solve problems in a phone call with Swiss Federal Councillor and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, in which the two officials exchanged views on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The upgrading of sanctions with no limitations will not only further jeopardize the global economy, which is already burdened by the COVID-19 pandemic, but further expand and complicate the crisis, Wang stressed.
China is committed to promoting peace talks and has encouraged face-to-face talks between Russia and Ukraine since the second day of the military operation in Ukraine, Wang said.
As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China will continue to make an independent assessment based on the merits of each matter and in an objective and impartial manner, Wang said.
Calling it “Europe’s largest ground war for over 70-plus years,” Cassis acknowledged the severe influence of the war, while adding that diplomacy is the only way out.
The Swiss side is now in contact with both the Russian side and the Ukrainian side, and will continue to maintain its neutral status, he said.
