The Chinese ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, stated on the French TV channel La Chaîne Info that the Crimean peninsula historically belongs to Russia and that the independent states that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union do not have a legally established status in the world.
When asked if Crimea is part of Ukraine, the ambassador replied that it depends on one's perspective and argued that Crimea initially belonged to Russia, but Nikita Khrushchev gave it to Ukraine during the Soviet period.
The journalist asserted that international law recognizes Crimea as part of Ukraine, but Lu Shaye disagreed, claiming that former Soviet Union states have no effective status in international law.
After the interview's publication, several foreign ministers criticized the ambassador's statements, and the French Foreign Ministry expressed concern and requested clarification from Beijing.
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