"The sanctions against Russia are getting more and more outrageous," Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng told a security forum in Beijing, according to Reuters.

Strongly suggesting the sanctions would only serve to harm common Russian citizens, he described that the West depriving the people of their overseas assets were ultimately "for no reason". 

"History has proven time and again that sanctions cannot solve problems. Sanctions will only harm ordinary people, impact the economic and financial system... and worsen the global economy."

He further hinted that US and EU sanctions would in the end only escalate the situation, as Reuters continues, he...

acknowledged Moscow's point of view on NATO, saying the alliance should not further expand eastwards, forcing a nuclear power like Russia "into a corner".

The unusually blunt Chinese reaction (given Beijing has appeared somewhat reluctant to weigh in too forcefully behind either side thus far, other than calling out NATO expansion) to the ratcheting Ukraine crisis comes the same day that Ukrainian President Zelensky's office publicly urged Beijing to come out and condemn "Russian barbarism" in a public statement. 

In a Twitter statement presidential aide Mikhailo Podolyak asserted "China can be the global security system's important element if it makes a right decision to support the civilized countries' coalition and condemn Russian barbarism."