Russia's Removal From U.N. Council Is 'Like Adding Fuel to the Fire': China

China's Foreign Ministry likened Russia's suspension from the United NationsHuman Rights Council to "adding fuel to the fire." "It is like adding fuel to the fire, which is not conducive to the de-escalation of conflicts, and even less so to advancing the peace talks," China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said during a regular press conference on Friday.

The comments by Zhao come just a day after Russia was suspended from the U.N. Human Rights Council amid allegations that Russian military forces committed war crimes in several cities surrounding Ukraine's capital of Kyiv, including Bucha. Several Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, have accused Russia of committing "genocide" in Bucha and other cities after Ukrainian troops regained control of Kyiv.

On Thursday, 93 nations voted in favor of a resolution that suspended Russia from the council, while 24 voted against it. China was one of the 24 nations that voted against the resolution, with China's Ambassador to the U.N. Zhang Jun saying that the resolution was not proposed in "an open or transparent matter."

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