Russian foreign minister criticizes Pavel over China remarks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has shot back at Czech President Petr Pavel’s comments on the role of China in the Russia-Ukraine war. Lavrov said that Pavel’s comments “do not correspond to the activity of a normal political official.”

In an interview with Politico released Tuesday, Pavel said that China “did not want” peace in Ukraine. He argued that China is benefiting from the war too much to play the role of a peacemaker. 

Pavel claimed that the longer the war went on, the more China could force Russia to make concessions. China would benefit economically and geopolitically from this. The Czech president said that China was only pursuing its own interests in the current war.

Lavrov called Pavel’s comments inappropriate and untrue. "This is an indicator of the current mentality in European diplomacy," the Russian also noted. Russia currently chairs the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council.

Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský stood up for the president, branding Lavrov a “clown.” He said Tuesday that Lavrov’s comments were laughable, and reminded journalists that “Russia is a terrorist state and its leadership should be brought before an international tribunal.”

Since February 2022, China has become an increasingly important trading partner for its neighboring Asian state. The Chinese government has repeatedly refused to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, although Chinese President Xi Jinping last month called for peace talks between the two warring countries.