Group members call for support for peaceful resolution of Ukraine crisis

China hopes to work with other members of the "Friends for Peace" group toward the peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Monday, days after the group members convened in New York.

Introducing the outcomes of the meeting attended by representatives of 17 countries from the Global South, including China, Brazil, Algeria, South Africa and Turkiye, Mao said the participants called for support for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the crisis through diplomatic means.

The meeting on Wednesday was the first gathering of the group members in almost three months.

In a news release issued after the gathering, the participants said they were concerned at the ongoing hostilities and reiterated the need to observe principles for de-escalation and the importance of non-expansion of the battlefield and non-intensification of fighting.

Political solution

The international community, including countries from the Global South and the United Nations, can play a constructive role in advocating for peace and expressing wide support for a political and peaceful solution, according to the news release.

The group of "Friends for Peace" was established in September, when a ministerial meeting was held on the sidelines of the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly to seek a peaceful end to the Ukraine crisis through building solidarity among the Global South.

The ministerial meeting was followed by a joint communique, which called for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states and respecting the legitimate concerns of states, among other principles.

The communique was the first time that countries predominantly representing the Global South and some countries from the region collectively voiced their concerns about the Ukraine crisis, the news release said.