Xi Jinping's Official Says US 'Adding Fuel To The Fire' In Russia-Ukraine War: 'Stop Sending Weapons'

Xi Jinping's representative in Ukraine slammed the U.S. for "adding fuel to the fire" and urged the West to "stop sending weapons to the battlefield."

What Happened: China's Ukraine envoy Li Hui called for peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow as Washington and its allies are ramping up ammunition supplies to the Ukrainian army trying to recapture Russian-occupied territory.

"China believes that if we really want to put an end to war, to save lives and realize peace, it is important for us to stop sending weapons to the battlefield, or else the tensions will only spiral up," Li said, according to Associated Press.

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Li said China was ready to send a second delegation to discuss a possible "political settlement" as Vladimir Putin's army continued its unprecedented assault in Bakhmut.

In his comments, Li repeatedly referred to outsiders as "adding fuel to the fire" and making comments that "exacerbate the situation." While Li did not explicitly mention any specific party, his choice of words seemed to be a clear criticism aimed at Washington, the largest arms provider to the war-torn nation.

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 "Who is the real troublemaker in the world and the real security threat in the world? The global community has a keen understanding of that," Li said, as he criticized "some countries' actions, clinging to Cold War mentality, ganging up with other countries, creating small circles for bloc confrontation and carrying out hegemonic bullying actions."

Why It Matters: Xi's government has portrayed itself to be a neutral party, aiming to act as a mediator while clinching a no-limit partnership with Moscow. China has also put forward a peace plan, but Ukrainian allies maintain that Russian forces must first withdraw for progress to be made.

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