China reportedly accuses US of hyping Russian invasion threat to Ukraine

China has accused the US of hyping the possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, thereby creating instability in the Ukrainian economy and society, Newsweek has reported. 

Though Russia reported that part of their troops had been withdrawn and war games ceased in Crimea, as of Wednesday, a White House address from President Joe Biden states that over 150,000 Russian troops are still present at Ukraine’s border. 

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While most European state heads have attempted to deescalate the situation through diplomatic channels, the US has also kept talks going while sending troops to eastern Europe as well. Fearing an imminent invasion, the embassy in Kyiv has been largely emptied too. Countries like the UK have followed suit, but China has been surprisingly quiet in the entire matter, only going so far as to state that the US should take cognizance of Russia’s security concerns. 

This has drawn the ire of the Pentagon, which has noted China’s “tacit support” of militarily coercing Ukraine, as per Newsweek.

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Responding to this, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, spoke at a Beijing press conference, saying “For days, the U.S. has been playing up the threat of war and creating an air of tension. This has gravely impacted the economy, social stability and people’s lives in Ukraine, and obstructed dialogue and negotiations between the concerned parties”, Newsweek reported. 

As per Newsweek, Wenbin further added, “It is exactly this persistent hyping and dissemination of disinformation by some in the West that has added more turbulence and uncertainty to a world already fraught with challenges, and intensified distrust and division. We hope relevant parties can stop such disinformation campaigns and do more to benefit peace, mutual trust and cooperation”. 

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Notably, Russia, which has long denied any plans of attacking had previously accused the US of causing hysteria to find a pretext to station troops near Russia’s borders.