United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York May 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie E)
Any sober mind can tell that efforts to de-escalate tensions and promote peace talks are urgently needed, but not NATO as the U.S.-led military alliance has been fanning the flame offline and online over the past weeks.
BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted its first statement on Ukraine since the start of Russia-Ukraine military conflict in a bid to rally efforts toward a peaceful settlement of the crisis, which has dragged on for more than 10 weeks.
In a presidential statement, the council expressed "deep concern" over the maintenance of peace and security in Ukraine and voiced support for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' efforts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.
Also on Friday, Guterres, the UN chief, welcomed the statement in which the council "spoke with one voice for peace in Ukraine," reiterating that "the world must come together to silence the guns and uphold the values of the UN Charter."
The Ukraine crisis has sent shockwaves beyond Europe, corroding world peace, stability and economic recovery. As the conflict grinds on and negotiation gets deadlocked, it has become increasingly apparent that the global fallout of a magnified or prolonged conflict can be immense.
People evacuated from the Azovstal plant and adjacent houses in Mariupol arrive at a temporary accommodation center in the village of Bezimenne in Donetsk, May 1, 2022. (Photo by Victor/Xinhua)
The UN's latest effort represented a growing appeal of the international community for peace. It also sent a strong message that dialogue and negotiation is the responsible way to maintain peace and stability and a peaceful settlement of conflicts is the right choice that serves the fundamental and long-term interests of the whole world.
Any sober mind can tell that efforts to de-escalate tensions and promote peace talks are urgently needed, but not NATO as the U.S.-led military alliance has been fanning the flame offline and online over the past weeks.
Offline, the bloc has issued sweeping sanctions against Russia and incessantly shipped weapons to Ukraine; online, it launched a worldwide disinformation campaign, manufacturing fear, blocking dissenting voices on social media and pressuring countries to take sides.
Up to now, arms deliveries to Ukraine are not decreasing, but increasing. The United States alone has already sent more than 3 billion dollars worth of military products there and is set to bolster its delivery with an additional 150-million-dollar weapons package, signed by U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday.
It is a shameful act of irresponsibility and extreme egotism to seek geopolitical interests at the expense of others while taking advantage of the prolonged crisis. Such divisive practice runs counter to the common interests of the international community and is inherently unpopular.
A Ukrainian soldier covers an armored vehicle with branches in Donbass on April 12, 2022. (Photo by Diego Herrera/Xinhua)
As the UN Security Council's presidential statement pointed out, all member states should undertake, "under the Charter of the United Nations, the obligation to settle their international disputes by peaceful means."
Since its founding more than 70 years ago, the United Nations has been the most universal, representative and authoritative intergovernmental international organization, providing an effective platform for the international community to respond collectively to various threats and challenges.
An increasingly volatile international climate highlights more than ever the value and role of the UN, and the necessity to firmly uphold its authority and status.
As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China always supports and welcomes all efforts conducive to peace. Since the onset of the crisis, China has upheld the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the principle of the indivisibility of security and acted responsibly for regional and world peace by striving to promote peace talks and actively participating in humanitarian assistance in the spirit of equity and justice.
China has made unremitting efforts for peace with a slew of concrete actions to ease tensions. It has earnestly called for creating space for peace and leaving room for political settlement and encouraged the two sides to "overcome difficulties, keep the talks going and bring about peaceful outcomes."
China has also contributed its wisdom with such proposals as the "four musts" on resolving the crisis, a five-point position on the Ukraine issue and a six-point initiative on easing the humanitarian crisis.
Mankind is an indivisible community of security. Echoing the UN call, China believes that countries around the world should unite in tackling knotty problems and blaze a new trail of security featuring dialogue rather than confrontation, partnership rather than alliance, and win-win outcomes rather than zero-sum security. ■
