President,

I thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for her briefing.

The international situation is becoming increasingly turbulent, with regional conflicts and local wars flaring up one after another. The international community's calls for peace and development are growing ever stronger. The Ukraine crisis has dragged on for more than four years. Hostilities continue, civilian casualties are rising, and the spillover effects of the crisis are still expanding. The parties concerned and the international community should join hands and make efforts to bring the dawn of peace at an early date and achieve a political settlement of the crisis.

First, exercise restraint and achieve an early ceasefire and cessation of hostilities. Since the beginning of this year, the parties to the conflict have been locked in round after round of intense confrontation. More and more new types of weapons have been deployed on the battlefield, and fighting on the ground risks escalating and expanding. Large numbers of innocent civilians have been killed or injured, civilian infrastructure, including energy, agricultural, and logistics facilities, has suffered serious damage, and the humanitarian situation is deeply worrying. China calls on the parties to the conflict to remain calm and exercise restraint, strictly abide by international humanitarian law, avoid attacks on civilians, civilian infrastructure, and humanitarian workers, and make every effort to de-escalate the situation and preserve the prospects for peace.

Second, move toward each other and continue to advance the peace talks. Dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way out of the Ukraine crisis. Recently, key stakeholders have held a series of engagements and interactions, which China welcomes. The negotiating table is the starting point for peace. Although differences remain in the positions of the parties, as long as negotiations continue, ways can be found to resolve the issues and open the door to peace. China supports all parties in seeking common ground while managing differences through dialogue, building consensus through negotiations, and working toward a comprehensive, lasting, and binding peace agreement.

Third, take a long-term perspective and strive to build common security. The Ukraine issue has reached its current state due to complex historical circumstances and practical factors. This crisis reminds us that there is no such thing as so-called “absolute security” in the world. Taking each other's security concerns seriously and living together in peace and amity is the only realistic choice. China calls on the parties concerned to abandon the Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, put into practice the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, find the greatest common ground that accommodates each other's concerns, and promote the building of a balanced, effective, and sustainable regional security architecture.

President,

China's position on the Ukraine issue has been consistent, clear, and unequivocal. We have always taken the Four Shoulds proposed by President Xi Jinping as our fundamental guidance: the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be fully observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously, and all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis should be supported.

China is neither the creator of the Ukraine crisis nor a party to it. We will only do things that are conducive to peace and have always been committed to promoting peace and facilitating talks. Over the past four years and more, China has maintained close communication with Russia, Ukraine, and other parties concerned, dispatched special envoys to conduct shuttle diplomacy, and worked with Brazil and other Global South countries to initiate the Group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine crisis, continuously building consensus for peace and advancing peace efforts. China stands ready to work with the international community and continue to play a constructive role in achieving a political settlement of the crisis.

Thank you, President.