ISTANBUL

Russia on Monday voiced its support for China as Beijing accused the US of “illegally” entering its territorial waters in the disputed South China Sea.

“In general, we do not welcome any kind of provocative actions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in response to a question on the matter during a press briefing in Moscow.

Peskov further said that, on the contrary, Moscow welcomed “any steps that lead to increased mutual trust, predictability and stability.”

In an earlier statement, Senior Col. Tian Junli, a spokesman for the People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theatre Command, said that the Chinese military closely monitored a US warship that illegally entered the country’s waters.

Tian said that the warship entered Chinese waters near a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea.

Commenting on another question regarding an earlier Financial Times publication on a budgetary dispute in the EU threatening a €50 billion ($54.3 billion) aid package for Ukraine, Peskov said it is becoming increasingly difficult for European countries to “burn money” by supporting Kyiv.

“It is clear that it is becoming increasingly difficult for them (European countries) to burn money in the bottomless Ukrainian barrel. As for us, the special military operation will continue, our economy has adapted to the conditions of the special military operation and provides the necessary regime to continue,” he said.