BEIJING, February 15. /TASS/. Unilateral sanctions against Russia will only increase the rift and standoff around Ukraine, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Tuesday, commenting on the G7 statement regarding its readiness to impose sanctions against Russia.

"In the current situation, unilateral sanctions may only increase the divide and the standoff. China calls on all sides to adhere to rational approach, to settle the crisis around Ukraine and the corresponding problems via dialogue and negotiations," he said.

"In the current situation, dramatization and speculations about war are not a responsible behavior. Sanctions and pressure do not help to defuse the situation, and promotion of bloc standoff leads us to the old road of Cold War even stronger," the diplomat added.

"We urge all sides to adhere to a fair and open position, to assist dialogue and negotiations, as well as proper implementation of the Minsk Agreements for prompt resolution of he Ukrainian crisis," he concluded.

On Monday, the G7 Ministers of Finance reaffirmed their readiness to impose sanctions against Moscow, which will cause "wide-scale and immediate consequences" for the Russian economy in case of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to the statement, "any further Russian military aggression against Ukraine will be met with a swift and coordinated response."

Recently, claims of Russia’s potential invasion in Ukraine have become frequent in Ukraine and Western states. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called such reports empty and groundless escalation of tensions, underscoring that Russia does not pose any threat to anyone. Peskov noted that provocations may happen in order to justify such claims and warned that such attempts will bear the most serious consequences.