On 1 March 2022, the Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Andžejs Viļumsons, held a phone conversation with the Ambassador of China, Liang Jianquan. The Undersecretary expressed Latvia’s condemnation of the unprovoked large-scale Russian aggression in Ukraine that blatantly violates the fundamental international norms and causes an enormous tragedy for the people of Ukraine. The increasing use of indiscriminate weapons by Russian forces against civilian infrastructure and residential areas in Ukraine incurs a growing number of civilian casualties and immense suffering for ordinary Ukrainians, including women, children and the elderly. He emphasized that the relevant provisions of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, must be respected.
The Undersecretary furthermore appealed to China as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to defend the United Nations key principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of another state, of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Andžejs Viļumsons called on China to use its influence bilaterally and at the UN Security Council to stop the ongoing aggression against Ukraine. He emphasized that the time had come for the whole international community to be united in its support of Ukraine. The United Nations has a special role in that, since the UN Charter prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.