China Urges 'calm' After Putin Decree On Broader Use Of Nuclear Weapons

Umer Jamshaid Published November 20, 2024 | 02:10 PM

Beijing, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Nov, 2024) China on Wednesday urged "calm" and "restraint" after Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a nuclear threat and Ukraine fired longer-range US missiles at its territory for the first time.

Moscow has reacted furiously to a decision by US President Joe Biden to change policy on Ukraine and allow Kyiv to use US-supplied long-range missiles to strike Russian territory for the first time.

On Tuesday, Putin signed a decree that enables Moscow to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states such as Ukraine if they are supported by nuclear powers.

Following the decree, a senior official told AFP that a strike on Russia's Bryansk region earlier on Tuesday "was carried out by ATACMS missiles" -- a reference to the US-supplied Army Tactical Missile System.

On Wednesday Beijing called for a cooling of tensions.

"Under the current circumstances, all parties should remain calm and exercise restraint, working together through dialogue and consultation to ease tensions and reduce strategic risks," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said when asked about the decree and the strikes inside Russia.

"China's stance of encouraging all parties to de-escalate the situation and commit to a political resolution of the Ukraine crisis remains unchanged," Lin added.

"China will continue to play a constructive role in this regard," he said.