Australia urges China to denounce Russia over Ukraine; Japan expresses ‘grave concern’ over crisis

PM Scott Morrison called Beijing to allow an appropriate response through the UN rather than ‘resisting that being done’ through its membership of the UN Security Council

Meanwhile, Japan’s PM Fumio Kishida is set to call his counterpart as Tokyo expresses ‘grave concern’ over a possible Russian invasion

Reading Time:3 minutes

Ukrainian servicemen walk on a front line position in Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine. Photo: AP

Published: 3:07pm, 15 Feb 2022

Australia on Tuesday urged China to denounce Russian threats against Ukraine, as Russia’s envoy to the European Union said the country would “respond” if its citizens started being killed.

“We will not invade Ukraine unless we are provoked to do that,” Vladimir Chizhov was quoted by Russia’s RIA news agency as saying on Tuesday. “If the Ukrainians launch an attack against Russia, you shouldn’t be surprised if we counterattack. Or, if they start blatantly killing Russian citizens anywhere – Donbass or wherever.”

The Moscow-backed rebels say the Kyiv government is preparing an offensive against them, while Ukraine says Russia, which has amassed over 100,000 troops close to Ukrainian borders, is planning to invade its neighbour.

A woman walks past a damaged shop in the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk, Ukraine. Photo: Reuters

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison noted that Beijing and Moscow had announced they were pursuing closer relations since Russian troops began massing near the Ukrainian border.

“We would expect all nations, all governments around the world, to be denouncing what is taking place with the threats of violence against Ukraine,” Morrison told parliament.

“I do note that the Chinese government, together with the Russian government, have been banding together on this issue and that the Chinese government has not denounced what is occurring in Ukraine,” he said.

He called on all federal lawmakers to join the Australian government in “urging the Chinese government to denounce those actions and to allow an appropriate response through the United Nations rather than resisting that being done” through its membership of the UN Security Council.