Ukrainian troops cross the Dnipro River, possibly a prelude to an offensive

France and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have expressed their displeasure over the statements made by the Chinese ambassador in Paris. He recently questioned whether Crimea belongs to Ukraine.

In an interview broadcast on French television, Ambassador Le Che said that Crimea was historically part of Russia and had been given to Ukraine by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. “These former Soviet states have no real status in international law because there is no international agreement to establish their sovereign status,” he said.

In response, France today announced its “full solidarity” with all former Soviet states, which it said had gained independence “after decades of repression”.

A spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry addressed Ukraine specifically. Ukraine’s borders, including Crimea, were internationally recognized in 1991 by the entire international community, including China.

France has called on Beijing to clarify whether the ambassador’s comments reflect the official position of the Chinese government. For now, China, like the rest of the world, does not recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, three former Soviet states, responded similarly to France, inviting top Chinese diplomats in their capitals. China’s foreign ministry has yet to respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Tom Kieft