UNITED NATIONS, January 31. /TASS/. Russia’s legitimate concerns in the security sphere should be reckoned with, China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Zhang Jun said on Monday.

"NATO’s expansion is a matter that is hard to be avoided amid the current tensions," he said at a UN Security Council on the situation around Ukraine, adding that "any expansion of military groups inevitably entails deterioration of regional security."

"Russia’s legitimate concerns in the sphere of security should be heeded and reckoned with," he stressed.

According to the Chinese diplomat, today’s US-initiated UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine in no way helps bring down tensions. "In a situation when dialogue is maintained and talks, which are yet to yield progress, are underway, the organization of an open Security Council meeting cannot help create favorable conditions for dialogue and the negotiating process. Neither can it help ease tensions," he said.

Recently, Western and Ukrainian media outlets have been echoing claims about a possible Russian aggression against Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier slammed such statements as "empty and groundless" and their goal is to whip up tensions. He stressed that Russia doesn’t pose any threat to anyone, but did not rule out possible provocations to justify the remarks in question and warned that attempts at using force to settle the crisis in southeastern Ukraine would have the most severe consequences.