Illustraion: Chen Xia/GT

Russian President Vladimir Putin formally recognized "the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR)" and "the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR)" as independent on Monday. To a large extent, this is due to Russia's sense of insecurity triggered by the aftermath of the 2014 Color Revolution in Ukraine instigated by the US. NATO's eastward expansion has intensified internal conflicts in Ukraine and between the country and Russia, leading to a complicated situation. 

The US Democratic administrations have been deeply involved in the situation in Ukraine. 

President Joe Biden, acting as Vice President in 2014, also played a role in the color revolution along with almost all of the current US diplomats and security officials. The situation in 2022 is a natural extension of the 2014 Color Revolution, the consequences of which can't be quelled in a matter of months. 

The US is actually playing a "Europe card," taking the EU "hostage" and forcing it to stay in the transatlantic alliance. The leaders of the European major powers have to come forward to reach an understanding with Russia. Otherwise, Russia and Europe will suffer the loss.

China is an outsider. It respects the complex history of the region and hope the situation does not develop into an intense US-led geopolitical conflict and catastrophe. 

China will support Russia's economic fundamentals from the impact of potential Western sanctions. In addition, China will keep calling for a resolution of the crisis through diplomatic channels as China has always done. This has nothing to do with the Wall Street Journal's allegation that China aims to "protect ties with the US."

Europe has been in constant strife over territorial and ethnic issues for centuries, a situation that is unique and has not ceased even after the Cold War. First, the former Yugoslavia was dismembered by the US-led NATO, and now the US is using the Ukraine crisis to undermine Russia's security. Those are all problems they need to solve themselves. 

US politicians and media have recently been sowing discord between China and Russia. A Foreign Affairs article claimed China is a player which "stands awkwardly." China, on one hand, "has taken Russia's side, blaming NATO expansion for causing the crisis," and on the other hand, has called for diplomacy over war in order to "prevent relations with the US from significantly deteriorating." 

The US always desires an alienated partnership between China and Russia. In fact, Chinese and Russian leaders are clearly aware of the two countries' own problems. China has never and will never get involved in Russia's historical problems including its relations with the countries that became independent after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. 

The Ukraine crisis is extremely complex, and this issue needs to be solved on the basis of understanding history and reality simultaneously. If the history of the region is ignored, there can be no correct path to a solution. 

The US is playing a big game at minimal cost, trying to keep Europe in trepidation to maintain the transatlantic alliance and its arms sales. Lockheed Martin, one of the largest American companies in military support, became the world's largest defense contractor by revenue for the fiscal year 2014, thanks to the tense situations in Ukraine. 

The US has complained for years about the levels of Europe's defense spending because of the huge influence of US defense contractors on the government.

Arguably, the US needs to take the greatest responsibility for the current tensions, and it will not be restrained unless it suffers losses to its own economy.

The author is a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn