China’s Foreign Ministry has walked back comments by a senior Chinese diplomat questioning the sovereignty of Ukraine and other former Soviet states. Lu Shaye, China’s ambassador to France, said on Friday the nations “do not have an effective status in international law.” That prompted several nations, including Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, to summon Chinese envoys to explain Beijing’s official position. In a statement, China’s Foreign Ministry said Lu’s comments were “not a political declaration but an expression of personal points of view during a televised debate.” We’ll have more on this story after headlines.