Pressure on Ukraine for declaration of support for Xinjiang

According to media reports, Ukraine has withdrawn its support for a multinational UN declaration on Xinjiang following pressure from China. China has threatened to restrict trade and deny access to COVID-19 vaccines, as US-funded radio station Radio Free Europe reported on Thursday, citing Ukrainian MPs and a government official. According to the report, Andriy Sharaskin, a member of the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, said pressure from Beijing continued until Ukraine withdrew its signature from the paper. The statement, which was drafted in June under the leadership of Canada and ultimately signed by some 40 countries, condemns the human rights abuses in Xinjiang by Chinese authorities and calls for a local UN investigation (as reported by China.Table). A senior official confirmed the incident to the radio station.