ISTANBUL / NEW DELHI
China on Tuesday called for “de-escalation” while India voiced “concern” after Moscow claimed Ukraine carried out a drone attack on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence.
“Dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way out of the Ukraine crisis,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular news conference in Beijing.
China’s reaction came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday claimed that Ukraine launched an overnight attack on Putin’s residence in the northwestern Novgorod region using 91 long-range strike drones.
Lin urged the sides to observe three principles for de-escalation. “Namely, no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting,” and lastly, he urged no adding fuel to the fire by any party.
“De-escalate the situation and accumulate conditions for the political settlement,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy immediately denied Lavrov’s claims in a statement on X, arguing the accusations seek to “undermine all achievements of our shared diplomatic efforts with President Trump’s team.”
Separately, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed “concern” over the reported targeting of Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region.
“Deeply concerned by reports of the targeting of the residence of the President of the Russian Federation,” Modi said in a statement on US social media company X.
He added, “ongoing diplomatic efforts offer the most viable path toward ending hostilities and achieving peace.”
“We urge all concerned to remain focused on these efforts and to avoid any actions that could undermine them,” Modi said.
During a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Monday, Putin said Ukraine’s alleged drone attack on the presidential residence “will not go unanswered.”
“I don’t like it. It’s not good,” Trump later told reporters about the attack that Kyiv denies. “President Putin told me about it early in the morning. He said he was attacked. It’s no good.”
