China lashed out at the United States on Friday, accusing it of provoking the Russia-Ukraine dispute and blaming it for the growth of NATO, a military alliance of western countries, to protect itself against any nation’s aggression.

“As the perpetrator and primary initiator of the Ukraine issue, the US has led NATO in five rounds of eastward expansion in the previous two decades after 1999,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhao Lijian told reporters at a regular briefing.

“NATO membership has expanded from 16 to 30, and they have advanced eastward more than 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) to somewhere near the Russian border, gradually driving Russia to the wall,” he continued.

Living in Russia’s shadow, Ukraine has long voiced a desire to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a military alliance of Western countries, to safeguard itself against any nation’s aggression. On February 24, Russia asked that Ukraine drop the demand and declare itself neutral.

While the West has sought to isolate Russia over the Ukraine crisis, China has distanced itself from the pressure by refusing to denounce the bloodshed. It has also spoken out against the crushing sanctions imposed by the US and the West. Zhao also stated on Friday that China opposes “problem-solving through sanctions.”

“China opposes the use of sanctions to solve disputes, and we are even more opposed to unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that have no basis in international law,” Zhao added.

China also consistently repeats Russian falsehoods about the battle, notably refraining from referring to it as an invasion or a war, as is customary in Russia.

The remarks come as the leaders of China and the European Union prepare to have a virtual meeting, which will most likely be dominated by discussions about Ukraine.