Beijing today...

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi today made a phone call to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Lavrov and Wang shared the evolution of the situation in Ukraine and the Russian position, stating that the United States and NATO had breached their obligations, continued to expand to the east, refused to implement the new Minsk Agreement and violated Security Council resolution 2202.

Lavrov added that his country had had to take necessary measures to protect its rights and interests.

Noting that China had always respected the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of all States, Wang pointed out that China recognized the complex and special historical context of the issue of Ukraine and understood Russia's legitimate security concerns.

China stressed that the cold war mentality must be completely abandoned and that a balanced, effective and sustainable mechanism for European security must be established through dialogue and negotiation.