Beijing: The sovereignty of Ukraine and other former Soviet republics has been questioned by China's ambassador to France, who asserts that their ambiguous legal status makes it difficult to settle disputes over disputed territories like Crimea.

In an interview with French broadcaster LCI on Saturday, Ambassador Lu Shaye said, "Even these countries of the former Soviet Union don't have effective status in international law because there is no international agreement to make their status as a sovereign country concrete."

When asked whether Crimea is Ukrainian territory by Swiss journalist Darius Rochebin, Lu responded, "It depends on how you perceive the problem. It is not that easy.

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Rochebin attempted to correct his visitor by saying, "Sorry, you know it's Ukraine according to international law. You can dispute it and argue about it in accordance with international law, but this is Ukraine. Crimea was originally a part of Russia, Lu retorted. In the Soviet Union, Crimea was given to Ukraine by [Soviet leader Nikita] Khrushchev.

The Chinese diplomat responded, "Now, we must not argue about this kind of problem again," when pressed further about the status of the peninsula. The most important thing right now is to stop, cease fire, and stop.

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Chinese leaders have resisted pressure from the US and other Western nations to join in denouncing Moscow and imposing sanctions in an effort to maintain their neutral position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Beijing has emphasised the necessity of putting an end to the bloodshed in Ukraine and working towards a diplomatic solution that takes into account the security concerns of all parties involved. Beijing proposed a 12-point peace plan in February.

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The majority of Kiev's Western backers do not consider President Vladimir Zelensky's pledge to retake all of Ukraine's territory, including Crimea, to be a realistic one. Following the US-backed overthrow of Ukraine's elected government in 2014, Crimean citizens overwhelmingly chose to join Russia.

When asked about the significance of territorial integrity from Kiev's perspective, Lu once more emphasised the historical complexity of the situation and responded, "There are enduring problems about their conflict, aren't there? One word sums it up so well. You two can discuss any issues you might be having