Iran Press/ Asia: Russia began its special military operation in Ukraine in late February after the neighboring country refused to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements, first signed in 2014, and Moscow’s eventual recognition of the Donbas republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. The German- and French-brokered protocols were designed to give the breakaway regions special status within the Ukrainian state.
The Kremlin has since demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country and provide guarantees that it will not join NATO. Ukraine views the Russian offensive as an unprovoked act of war and has denied claims it was planning to retake the two republics by force.
Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, China said that the US has led NATO to engage in five rounds of eastward expansion in the last two decades after 1999.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the undeniable responsibility for the crisis in Ukraine lies with the US government, as Washington violated the treaty and made a concerted effort to extend NATO's military alliance to the east. 219
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