China is attempting to present itself as a peace mediator in Russia’s war against Ukraine while amplifying Kremlin narratives attempting to justify the war and pointing the finger at the United States.

While claiming it stands for “peace” in Ukraine, the Chinese government repeatedly blamed the U.S. for violence in Ukraine in recent weeks, variously blaming Western exuberance over the collapse of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, NATO’s membership expansion over the years, and the U.S.’s provision of weaponry to Ukraine before and after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.