#RussianInvasion
#Beijing Remains Silent Despite Nuclear Pact Signed with #Ukraine

//On February 27, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin dramatically escalated East-West tensions by ordering Russian nuclear forces put on high alert, while Ukraine’s embattled leader agreed to talks with Moscow as Putin’s troops and tanks drove deeper into the country, closing in around the capital.

Citing “aggressive statements” by NATO and tough financial sanctions, Putin issued a directive to increase the readiness of Russia’s nuclear weapons, raising fears that the invasion of Ukraine could lead to nuclear war, whether by design or mistake.//

However, in 2013, China actually signed a joint declaration with Ukraine to "provide Ukraine nuclear security guarantee when Ukraine encounters an invasion involving nuclear weapons or Ukraine is under threat of a nuclear invasion."

According to a report released by Washington Times in 2013:

//On December 5, 2013 [Ukrainian President] Viktor Yanukovych and President #XiJinping signed a bilateral treaty officially pronouncing that China and Ukraine are now “strategic partners.”

“China pledges unconditionally not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against the nuclear-free Ukraine and China further pledges to provide Ukraine nuclear security guarantee when Ukraine encounters an invasion involving nuclear weapons or Ukraine is under threat of a nuclear invasion,” said a joint statement on the pact.

China’s official media, including Xinhua and Global Times, touted the deal with the headline “China Pledges Nuclear Umbrella to Protect Ukraine.”

Still, the Ukraine-China security pact ignores the elephant in the room, namely, that the country most likely to even contemplate threatening to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine is Russia, China’s other “strategic partner.”

In the hypothetical scenario of a Russian nuclear threat against Moscow’s former satellite Ukraine, would China keep its pledge to confront Moscow with its nuclear weapons?//

On February 27, 2022, the question posed by Washington Times in 2013 has become an actual scenario.

In a report releasedon on February 28, 2022, the same newspaper pointed out China's stance in Russian invasion of Ukraine:

//China has tacitly supported the Russian military operation against Ukraine by not condemning the military operation and repeatedly insisting that Moscow had “legitimate security concerns” with Ukraine and NATO that the U.S. and its allies failed to address. Beijing abstained on a U.N. Security Council measure last week condemning Russia’s actions, a measure that failed when Moscow used its veto.//

Source: Washington Times #Feb28

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Read the full article:
https://amp.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/feb/28/putins-war-tests-chinas-nuclear-pact-ukraine/

News Recap from Washington Times, December 12, 2013:
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/dec/12/inside-china-ukraine-gets-nuke-umbrella/