BEIJING, July 15. /TASS/. Washington’s sanctions on Russia will not facilitate efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said.

"China strongly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions and ‘long-arm’ jurisdiction as tariff wars and pressure will not help solve the problem," he said at a briefing, commenting on the proposal by US Senator Lindsey Graham (listed by Moscow as a terrorist and extremist) to impose 500% tariffs on Russia and its partners. "We believe that dialogue and talks are the only way to resolve the Ukraine crisis," Lin added.

According to the Chinese diplomat, Beijing’s position on Ukraine has always been clear and unequivocal. "We hope that all parties will work to create a favorable environment to settle the Ukraine crisis politically and will also create conditions and take further constructive steps to reconcile the parties and promote talks," he concluded.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump announced plans to impose more sanctions on Russia if no progress on a Ukraine deal was achieved within 50 days. However, he said the idea of 500% tariffs against Russia and its partners made no sense.