The Chinese Ambassador to Russia, Zhang Hanhui, has asserted that NATO is the major cause of the aggravation of the Ukrainian crisis. In an interview with TASS News Agency, Zhang pointed to instances in Kosovo, Libya, and Afghanistan as examples of how NATO’s actions have fueled tensions, broken stability, and encouraged separatism.
Zhang stated that NATO’s five eastward expansions have seriously impacted the post-Cold War order and security in Europe, playing a key role in exacerbating the Ukrainian crisis. He criticized NATO as a Cold War relic that should have ceased to exist when the Cold War ended but continues to thrive by unleashing wars and instigating conflicts.
The Russia-Ukraine war began when Ukraine sought NATO membership, but Russia reacted by launching a special military operation after recognizing the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as “independent republics.” Russia has maintained that its operations aim to “demilitarize” and “de-nazify” Ukraine.
While the United States and other NATO countries have stated that admitting Ukraine to NATO is not possible due to the ongoing war, Chinese Ambassador Zhang’s comments shed light on the complex geopolitical dynamics surrounding the Ukrainian crisis and its connection to NATO’s expansion.