China's envoy pushes for peace on Ukraine

China's top envoy to the United Nations has urged the international community to promote a political solution to the Ukraine crisis, noting that everything China has been doing is to facilitate peace talks.

A political solution to the Ukraine crisis must be promoted with the utmost urgency, Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, told a Security Council meeting on Monday on the maintenance of peace and security in Ukraine.

"There are no easy answers to complex issues, and the first step must always be taken to comprehensively solve them," said Zhang. "The restart of dialogue and negotiation cannot wait any longer. All parties should create conditions for promoting dialogue and negotiation instead of adding fuel to the flames, intensifying conflicts and trying to profit from it.

"China has always stood on the side of peace on the Ukraine issue, and everything we do is to promote peace and talks," he added.

Zhang said all efforts must be made to alleviate the harm and suffering of civilians. He said international humanitarian law sets out the rules of conduct that must be observed in conflict situations.

"We welcome the international community, including humanitarian agencies, to expand assistance to all affected people and advance the restoration of civilian infrastructure on the basis of the principles of neutrality and impartiality," he said.

China supports the balanced, comprehensive and effective implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the memorandum of understanding on promoting Russian food products and fertilizers to the world. China supports the UN in playing an important role in eliminating the practical obstacles to Russia's grain and fertilizer exports, said Zhang.

UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Monday that efforts will continue in the coming days to extend a deal allowing for safe Black Sea grain exports.

Zhang reiterated that a nuclear war must never be fought and cannot be won, adding that the security of nuclear power facilities in Ukraine is related to the safety and well-being of hundreds of millions of people, and any accident may have immeasurable humanitarian and ecological consequences.

"We must keep the red line of nuclear safety," said Zhang.

Sanctions denounced

Round after round of unilateral sanctions and the extension of the "long-arm jurisdiction" have not only "caused serious humanitarian consequences but also disrupted global industrial and supply chains", Zhang said.

"The US and other relevant countries should seriously reflect on it, make immediate reforms, and create conditions for developing countries to develop their economies and improve their people's livelihoods," said Zhang. "They should not engage in economic coercion while fabricating narratives that accuse other countries of engaging in economic coercion.

"Unilateral sanctions have no basis in international law and are causing resentment and opposition from more and more countries," he said, adding that the so-called rules-based international order has "serious problems in law and practice".

Li Hui, special representative of the Chinese government on Eurasian affairs, is visiting Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany and Russia for communication, with the aim to promote a political settlement to the Ukraine crisis, said China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.

Meanwhile, European leaders were traveling to Iceland on Tuesday for a two-day summit. In only the fourth summit of the Council of Europe since its founding after World War II, the 46-member body was expected to gather to discuss the conflict in Ukraine.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky had agreed to receive a group of African leaders to discuss a potential peace plan for the conflict.

"My discussions with the two leaders demonstrated that they are both ready to receive the African leaders and to have a discussion on how this conflict can be brought to an end," Ramaphosa told a joint news briefing with the Singaporean prime minister in Cape Town.

On the battlefield, Russia's Defense Ministry said for the first time on Monday that it had downed a long-range Storm Shadow missile supplied to Ukraine by the United Kingdom.

Zelensky has reached agreements with the leaders of Italy, Germany, France and Britain on providing fresh defense aid, Zelensky's press service reported on Monday after the president visited four European countries.

Agencies and Xinhua contributed to this story.