MOSCOW -- Russia's special military operation in Ukraine will continue until all tasks set by President Vladimir Putin are fulfilled, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said Friday.

"These targets are related to the future of Ukraine: the status of Ukraine as a neutral state, a state that does not pursue an anti-Russian policy, a state that is not militarized, and a state as our normal neighbor," Medvedev said.

Russia launched the special military operation a month ago primarily because these goals were not achieved through diplomacy, he said in an interview with Russia's RIA Novosti news agency and RT broadcaster.

The main tasks of the first stage of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine have been completed in general, and the combat potential of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has been significantly reduced, the Russian military announced on Friday.

The Russian military will "concentrate on the main thing -- the complete liberation of Donbass," said Sergei Rudskoy, first deputy chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.

--Xinhua

BERLIN - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement of transferring payment to rubles in natural gas deal.

Scholz made the remarks at a press conference after a meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) leaders in Brussels.

In response to Putin's recent announcement that Russia will only accept rubles for natural gas supplied to "unfriendly countries," Scholz said the currency of payment is part of relevant contracts.

He added that the payments were usually made in euros or dollars. "Most agreements and treaties are absolutely precise about the currency in which the payment has to be done," he said.

Putin said Wednesday at a meeting with government members via video link that Russia will reject US dollars or euros and only accept rubles for its natural gas supplied to "unfriendly countries," including the European Union members and the United States.

Putin decided to implement a set of measures to transfer payments to rubles, starting with Russian natural gas in the shortest possible time.

According to a joint statement by G7 leaders issued on Thursday, the G7 countries will take further steps to reduce their reliance on Russian energy and ensure secure alternative and sustainable supplies.

The statement also stressed solidarity and close coordination in case of possible supply disruptions.

It also noted that the Ukraine crisis places global food security under increased pressure.

MOSCOW - The extraordinary summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) held Thursday has confirmed the alliance's desire to contain Russia and prolong the military conflict in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"The decision announced at the summit to continue providing political and practical support to the Kiev regime confirms the alliance's interest in continuing hostilities," the ministry's spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

NATO members have demonstrated their loyalty to Washington by vowing to follow its orders aimed at ultimately containing Russia, she said, adding Washington once again "disciplined" its allies by pressuring sovereign countries and further erasing Europe's strategic autonomy.

"They silently watched the United States destroy the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, stood aside when Washington withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, allowed the Americans to withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies," Zakharova said, stressing that NATO members have been slowly destroying the European security system.

NATO is using its "anti-Russian course" as a pretext to increase the purchase of weapons, which are being supplied by the US military industrial complex, she noted.

To cover up Washington's "dirty practices" regarding secret research on biological and chemical weapons, NATO has launched a groundless disinformation campaign accusing Russia of possible provocations, the spokesperson added.

BEIJING - A Chinese military spokesperson on Thursday said the claim that China sent military aid to Russia is nothing but pure fabrication.

Both Chinese and Russian sides have clarified the issue. The rumor repeatedly spread by the United States against China exposed its sinister intention, said Wu Qian, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense.

"We urge the US side to immediately stop this despicable smearing and do some deep reflections on its disgraceful role in the evolving Ukraine crisis," Wu said, adding that the United States should take concrete actions to push for the de-escalation of the Ukraine situation.

KYIV - Ukraine and Russia conducted the first prisoner swap since the start of the conflict, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Thursday.

Ten Ukrainian prisoners-of-war held by the Russian military were released in exchange for ten Russian soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces, Vereshchuk said on Facebook.

Besides, Ukraine handed over 11 civilian Russian sailors, who were rescued from a sunken ship near Odesa to Russia in exchange for 19 Ukrainian civilian sailors, Vereshchuk said.

While US leader seeks fresh measures at summits, experts see dangers for EU

US President Joe Biden was busy in Brussels with three summits on Thursday in which he was seeking to rally European allies for more economic action against Russia, but observers believe that a steeper escalation will only make the European Union poorer and weaker.

At a NATO emergency summit that ended early in the afternoon, the alliance's leaders agreed to bolster their eastern flank amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

A joint statement released after the meeting said that the allies remain "united and resolute" to oppose Russia's actions, "aid the government and the people of Ukraine, and defend the security of all allies".

They also agreed to set up four more battlegroups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia.

NATO will provide additional support to Ukraine, which includes protective equipment against the potential use of chemical and nuclear weapons in the country as well as additional cybersecurity assistance.

Russia has accused the United States of collaborating on biological weapons programs in Ukraine, allegations that the US called disinformation that could serve as a possible pretext for Russia's potential use of such weapons.

Shortly after the NATO summit, Biden attended a G7 leaders' meeting, called by this year's chair Germany. The leaders of the US, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Italy and Japan were expected to announce some sanctions mechanisms.

In the late afternoon, Biden was scheduled to attend a European Council summit focused on energy in relation to the Ukraine crisis.

In his invitation to leaders of the 27 EU member states, European Council President Charles Michel noted that in their recent meeting in Versailles, near Paris, they agreed to phase out their dependency on Russian gas, oil and coal imports as soon as possible.

While the US and the UK have announced a plan to phase out Russian energy, EU member states are sharply divided in their approaches, fearing that a ban on Russian energy will cause huge damage to their economies.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday that an immediate ban on Russian energy would trigger a recession in Germany and across Europe.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Wednesday that the US is looking to surge supplies of liquefied natural gas to Europe to decrease its dependency on Russia gas.

"Tomorrow, I will discuss with President Biden how to prioritize LNG deliveries from the United States to the European Union in the coming months," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday, before meeting with Biden on Thursday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke virtually to the NATO summit and was expected to do the same at the EU summit.

"The crisis in Ukraine has resulted in a significant erosion of European strategic autonomy to the US which has used the situation as a means to increase its influence over the continent," said Tom Fowdy, a British international relations analyst. "We see that Germany has all but discarded the balanced foreign policy legacy of Angela Merkel," he said.

"While many of these responses are inevitable to the situation, it is quite obvious Europe will be poorer and weaker."

Martin Jacques, a former senior fellow at Cambridge University's Department of Politics and International Studies, said: "Biden is clearly very keen to mobilize European countries against the Russian action. So far he has been very successful with big policy shifts in many countries, most notably Germany."

He said the summits were aimed at cementing "US-European relations in this endeavor with increased defense spending, more military aid to Ukraine, and further sanctions against Russia".

After Brussels, Biden is scheduled to visit Poland on Friday.

Agencies contributed to this story.

CAIRO - Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi received on Thursday a phone call from his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky during which they discussed the latest developments of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, said the Egyptian presidency.

Zelensky briefed Sisi on "the developments in the course of negotiations" relating to the conflict, said Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Rady in a statement.

During the conversation, the Egyptian president stressed the necessity of giving priority to dialogue and diplomatic solutions, "affirming Egypt's support for all endeavors that would speed up the political settlement of the crisis" through discussions and negotiations.

Sisi said that Egypt is following "with great concern" the successive developments of the crisis and the consequent deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

For his part, Zelensky expressed appreciation for the efforts made by Egypt to continue hosting Ukrainian tourists in Egyptian resorts, providing them with all means of assistance and facilitating the procedures for their return to Ukraine's neighboring countries.

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict started on Feb 24 when Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized "a special military operation" against Ukraine.

The United Nations recently said more than 3.6 million Ukrainians had fled their country due to the conflict.

Malaysia's opposition to unilateral sanctions against Russia reflects the principle of noninterference upheld by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, analysts say.

The country is one of the founding members of ASEAN. The regional bloc has not issued an official position on the sanctions in relation to the conflict in Ukraine, but individual members have made their positions clear.

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said on Tuesday on an official visit to Vietnam that both nations do not support unilateral sanctions. "We recognize restrictions that could be imposed only by the UN Security Council," Ismail Sabri said at a news briefing.

"We discussed the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and agreed that Malaysia and Vietnam will remain neutral on this issue. As for sanctions against Russia, we do not support them."

Earlier this month, Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said that his nation has no plans to impose sanctions against Russia, noting that "innocent people will be the ones who suffer" from sanctions.

Saifuddin also told the members of the Malaysian parliament that the country, as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, has asked for a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine and for the continuation of peace negotiations.

Azmil Tayeb, senior lecturer at the School of Social Sciences at Universiti Sains Malaysia, said Malaysia's decision to remain neutral is "based on the ASEAN's noninterference principle, though that's not the official position of ASEAN as an organization".

Policy of noninterference

James Chin, professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania in Australia, said: "Malaysia always tried to be neutral when it comes to conflict in other countries. It is also consistent with the longstanding ASEAN policy of noninterference in domestic affairs."

Malaysia has voted in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution demanding that Russia "immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders". But Chin said that Malaysia's support for the UN resolution is a "separate issue" from the imposition of unilateral sanctions against Russia.

Apart from Malaysia and Vietnam, Indonesia has also stated that it does not support unilateral sanctions against Russia. Singapore is the only Southeast Asian country that has sanctioned Russia. The Singaporean government prohibited all financial institutions in the city-state from dealing with Russian banks.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine is a major trade partner of Malaysia. But Moscow has exported weapons and defense armaments to Malaysia and this might have affected Malaysia's position on sanctions, according to Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.

Russia has also agreed to train and send a Malaysian astronaut to the International Space Station.

Oh said that another consideration is that Russia is a major exporter of fertilizer－a key input in oil palm farming, which is one of Malaysia's biggest industries.

"Malaysia can't just cut off financial ties (with Russia) … it can't afford to (impose) sanctions," he said.

Russia has announced it will require "unfriendly countries" to start paying for gas supplies in rubles, increasing pressure on the European Union ahead of a slew of emergency summits on Thursday involving US President Joe Biden and Western leaders.

"I have decided to implement a set of measures to transfer payments for our gas supplies to unfriendly countries into Russian rubles," Russian President Vladimir Putin said, ordering the changes to be implemented within a week.

"I would like to stress separately that Russia will definitely continue supplying natural gas in accordance with volumes and prices, pricing principles set in earlier concluded contracts," Putin announced at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

The measures are part of Russia's response to unprecedented sanctions leveled by Western countries on Moscow in response to its "special military operation" in Ukraine. Russia deems all countries that have hit it with sanctions as "unfriendly".

Europe imports around 40 percent of its natural gas from Russia, with contracts typically priced in euros. Russia's gas exports to "unfriendly" countries came in at around $50 billion in 2021, according to an estimate by Loko Invest.

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck, whose country imported 55 percent of its natural gas from Russia before the conflict, said Putin's demand was a breach of contract and that Berlin will discuss with European partners "how we would react to that".

Austria's OMV energy company said on Wednesday that it would still keep paying for Russian gas in euros despite the announcement. "We don't have any other basis for the contract. I wouldn't be able to do otherwise," OMV CEO Alfred Stern told Austrian television.

The announcement by Putin came as Biden and Western leaders were finalizing a package of new measures to pressure Russia, help Ukraine and demonstrate Western unity at a string of emergency summits on Thursday.

Biden will meet with NATO, the Group of Seven and the European Council during his 2-day visit in Brussels.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stressed on Wednesday that the bloc won't send troops to Ukraine after Poland proposed the alliance send peacekeeping troops. "NATO is not part of the conflict. It provides support to Ukraine but isn't part of the conflict," he said.

Biden and European leaders are also expected to announce a major initiative to direct shipments of liquefied natural gas to Europe this week, part of a broader effort to help reduce the continent's dependence on Russian energy, according to three US officials familiar with the plan.

The Russian stock market resumed limited trading on Thursday under heavy restrictions, almost one month after prices plunged and the market was shut down after the start of Moscow's "special operation" in Ukraine. Trading of a limited number of stocks including energy giants Gazprom and Rosneft took place under curbs that are meant to prevent a repeat of the massive sell-off that took place on Feb 24 in anticipation of Western economic sanctions.

The reopening will be a crucial test for Russia's economy amid what Central Bank chief Elvira Nabiullina has called a "period of large-scale structural transformation".

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Navy said on Wednesday that it had destroyed a Russian naval transport vessel docked in the Azov Sea near the besieged port city of Mariupol.

There was no immediate response from Russia's Defense Ministry to the claim, although videos on social media appeared to show a very large fire with secondary explosions in the port.

Agencies contributed to this story.

Time will tell that China stays on the right side of history and any ungrounded accusation and doubt of China will collapse, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Thursday.

He made the remarks while dismissing the claim by NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that China has spread "lies and disinformation" over the Ukraine crisis.

Stoltenberg made the accusation on Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.

"Such an accusation is disinformation in itself," Wang told a daily news conference.

China has been working actively to achieve an early cease-fire and avoid a humanitarian crisis in an objective and fair manner, Wang said. "We have always believed that Ukraine should be a bridge for communication between the East and the West, instead of a front line of games between major powers," the spokesman said.

European countries should uphold strategic independence and work with Russia and Ukraine to build a balanced, effective and sustainable security framework for Europe through talks, Wang said, adding that the United States and NATO should also talk with Russia to solve the crux of the crisis.

"What is needed to resolve the crisis is a cool head and a rational mind, not adding fuel to the fire," Wang said.

"What is needed to restore peace is dialogue and communication, not pressure or coercion. What is needed to achieve lasting peace and stability is efforts to accommodate the legitimate security concerns of all parties, not moves to seek bloc confrontation and absolute security."

China's position is in line with the wishes of most countries, he said.

Bio-labs in Ukraine

In another development, Wang said the US should make serious clarification about bio-labs in Ukraine and "open up its door for international scrutiny", after US State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Wednesday that China is spreading "disinformation... about... biological weapons programs".

The international community is seriously concerned about the labs' purpose and whether the US has conducted in the Ukraine labs and labs in other countries hazardous research that is prohibited in the US, Wang said.

The US, which has responded "with many loopholes" to the international community's doubt over the labs, should not dodge the issue with silence or by simply claiming the doubt is "disinformation".

It should make convincing explanations over its biological military activities in Ukraine and the world as soon as possible, and stop being the only country blocking the establishment of a verification mechanism under the Biological Weapons Convention, Wang added.

The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

The resolution, originally prepared by France and Mexico and put forward by Ukraine and others, received 140 votes in favor and 5 votes against. There were 38 abstentions, including China.

The text encourages the continued negotiations between all parties and again urges the immediate peaceful resolution of the conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine "through political dialogue, negotiations, mediation and other peaceful means in accordance with international law".

Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, reiterated China's position on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, and called for any initiatives and measures that can help alleviate and resolve the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

"The development of the situation in Ukraine to the present stage has triggered broad international concerns, and it is also something China does not want to see," Zhang said during the meeting.

"It is heart-wrenching to see the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, as well as the civilian casualties and massive displacement of people caused by the conflict," he said.

The envoy pointed out that the top priority now is for the parties concerned to maintain maximum restraints, avoid more civilian casualties and reach a negotiated cease-fire as soon as possible, especially to prevent a larger scale humanitarian crisis.

"China attaches great importance to the humanitarian issue of Ukraine. We welcome any initiative and measures that can help alleviate and resolve the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine," said Zhang.

China's fundamental starting point is to promote the international community and the UN to attach great importance to the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and call on the parties concerned to strengthen coordination on the humanitarian issue, effectively protect the safety of civilians, especially vulnerable groups such as women and children, and facilitate the personnel evacuation and humanitarian relief operations, he said.

Zhang stressed that China recognizes the purpose of the draft resolution put forward by France, Mexico and others and appreciates the efforts made by them and relevant countries in promoting consensus.

"At the same time, it is clear that some elements of the draft resolution go beyond the humanitarian context. Some issues are so complex that (they) can only be solved though political negotiations between the parties concerned," he said.

"Today's world is facing multiple severe challenges, and the spillover effects of the Ukraine crisis have further brought about global impacts," said Zhang. "The world is yet to emerge from the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ever-escalating implementation of sweeping, non-discriminatory sanctions have caused and will further cause a huge impact on global economy, trade, finance, energy, food and industrial and supply chains, seriously affecting the normal lives of people in all countries, and making the already difficult world economy even worse.

"Developing countries, which make up the majority of the world, are not parties to this conflict. They should not be drawn into the issue and forced to suffer the consequences of geopolitical conflicts and major-power rivalry," the ambassador said.

In addressing international and regional hot spot issues, Zhang said "there cannot be only two options, namely the use of force and sanctions. In the face of complex situations, all countries have the right to independently and autonomously decide their own foreign policies."

He stressed that relevant countries should not adopt a simplistic approach of either friend or foe, black or white, and should not force any country to pick a side.

"Respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries is a basic norm governing international relations that applies to all countries and all situations," he said. "There should be no exceptions, still less, double standards."

Dialogue and negotiation are the only way out of the Ukraine crisis, said Zhang. "China strongly calls on the international community to remain rational, strengthen unity and make unremitting efforts for cease-fire and peace. China will continue its constructive role in facilitating peace talks," he said.

Editor's Note: China Daily presents a series of analyses to help readers around the world better understand the how and why behind China's views and decisions on the Ukraine situation. This is the first installment of the series.

Xi: Expanding penalties would put global economy, order, public well-being at risk

One month after the Ukraine crisis broke out, China and an increasing number of like-minded nations, particularly developing countries, have voiced objection to unilateral sanctions by United States-led Western countries.

The reasons are clear: Such sanctions will only make the crisis last even longer, break international rules and order, worsen people's livelihoods and aggravate the humanitarian tragedy, officials and analysts said.

One of the clear messages against these sanctions is from President Xi Jinping. He told US President Joe Biden on March 18 that sweeping and indiscriminate sanctions would only make the people suffer.

If further escalated, the sanctions could trigger serious crises in global economy and trade, finance, energy, food, and industrial and supply chains, crippling the already languishing world economy and causing irrevocable losses, Xi said.

"China has all along opposed unilateral sanctions that have neither basis in international law nor mandate of the (United Nations) Security Council," and "imposing sanctions is like 'putting out fire with firewood' and will only make things worse", Vice-Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said at a forum on Saturday.

Zhu Jiejin, a professor of global governance studies at Fudan University's School of International Relations and Public Affairs, said, "The recently imposed sanctions are shaking the existing international financial order while dealing heavy blows to the already shaky recovery of the global economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic."

The decision to partly ban Russia from SWIFT, the global messaging system for financial transactions, is "actually turning globalization into a 'weapon' and dampening the world's faith in globalization's future", Zhu said.

"Also, maximizing sanctions to the extreme will only lead to more extreme consequences," he said.

A joint statement issued on Sunday by the foreign ministries of China and Algeria responded to the Ukraine crisis and said both countries oppose indiscriminate application of unilateral sanctions without the support of international law.

Both countries urged avoiding the sabotaging of international rules and harming the livelihoods of people of various countries.

None of the other BRICS members－Brazil, India, China and South Africa－has joined in the sanctions against fellow member Russia. G20 members such as Mexico also declined to do so.

Walter Russell Mead, a distinguished fellow at the US Hudson Institute think tank, said China's basic approach－not endorsing Moscow's moves and resisting Western efforts to punish Russia－"has garnered global support".

In an article published in The Wall Street Journal on Monday, Mead said, "The West has never been more closely aligned," and "It has also rarely been more alone".

The latest episode in the punitive pushes from the West is that the European Union is mulling its fifth package of sanctions against Russia.

The ongoing drive for more sanctions is unlikely to achieve what the Western countries want, but could possibly worsen global inflation, said Ding Yifan, a research fellow at the Development Research Center of the State Council's Institute of World Development.

The Ukraine crisis is developing in a way that goes beyond itself with spillovers affecting the whole world, and "the momentum of world economic recovery should not be disrupted", said Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Monday.

Wang spoke of the widely shared view that when addressing regional and international hot-spot issues, war and sanctions are not the only options, and dialogue and negotiation are the fundamental way out. "The people should by no means be made to bear the brunt of geopolitical conflicts and major-country rivalry," he said.

"Unlike the sanctions leveled in recent years, this time more countries, international companies, civic groups and even international organizations joined the ranks of those imposing sanctions. By taking a side, they attempt to avoid also being sanctioned," said Li Wei, a professor at the School of International Studies of Renmin University of China.

While China is also falling prey to the sanctions on Russia in areas such as regular bilateral trade, Washington has threatened potential "consequences" over China's future role in the sanctions, experts noted.

When asked on Wednesday about China's role in sanctions against Russia, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned that the G7 sanctions enforcement initiative "will apply to every significant economy and the decisions that any of those economies take to try in an intentional and active way to undermine or weaken the sanctions".

Chinese Ambassador to the US Qin Gang said earlier this month that "threats against Chinese entities and businesses, as uttered by some US officials, are unacceptable".

"Neither war nor sanctions can deliver peace. Wielding the baton of sanctions at Chinese companies while seeking China's support and cooperation simply won't work," Qin wrote in a signed opinion piece in The Washington Post on March 15.

Wang Peng, a research fellow at Huazhong University of Science and Technology's Institute of State Governance, said, "The US prefers abusing sanctioning when dealing with other countries, but China will not buy it."

Washington has not generally loosened restrictions it has placed on China since 2018, and its policy of containing China has seen no major changes except going deeper into topics such as Asia-Pacific security and the Taiwan question, Wang noted.

"It won't be a problem if Washington would sit at the table with China to discuss a topic based on mutual respect and an equal footing. And China will not be intimidated by any threats or menaces that expose the US' hypocrisy and lack of confidence," Wang said.

Over the past few years, China has also been a major victim of Washington's unilateral sanctions, and Chinese enterprises, particularly in the high-tech industry, have suffered major losses.

"The facts show that imposing such sanctions will do harm to both sides, and the US has not obtained any major benefit from them," said Tao Wenzhao, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of American Studies.

Ukraine set up seven humanitarian corridors on Thursday to evacuate civilians, the government-run Ukrinform news agency reported, citing Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk.

At a media briefing, Vereshchuk said 45 buses are set to evacuate civilians from the besieged city of Mariupol in Donetsk, adding that the evacuation will continue in towns and villages in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and the central Kiev region.

On Wednesday, Ukraine established nine humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from the above-mentioned two regions.

MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday to discuss the Moscow-Kyiv peace talks.

The leaders focused their attention on the problems of the ongoing negotiation process, the Kremlin said in a brief statement.

Putin outlined a number of considerations in the context of Russia's principled positions during the talks, it added.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict witnesses these phenomena: China is sending humanitarian aid to Ukrainians while the United States is delivering weaponry to Kyiv, and China is promoting dialogue to end the crisis and ease its global impact while the US is keen to escalate sanctions that could disrupt global economic recovery.

Throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict, China has maintained a state of neutrality, citing its close friendship, trade and economic ties with both countries.

During a video call with US President Joe Biden last week, President Xi Jinping said the top priorities were to continue dialogue and negotiations, avoid civilian casualties, prevent a humanitarian crisis, cease fighting and end the war as soon as possible.

Xi had urged the US to hold talks between the US, NATO and Russia on what he described as the "crux" of the Ukraine conflict: the security concerns of both Moscow and Kyiv.

Washington seems obsessed with sanctions and warnings that China would "face the consequences". The US State Department has threatened even more sanctions if China provided support to Russia.

No doubt what Ukrainians need most are daily living necessities, a cease-fire and an end to military operations. As shelling continues in key places in Ukraine, daily necessities have become scarce, and the injured need medical care.

China has insisted on and worked for diplomatic solutions to the crisis, apart from offering humanitarian aid.

Shortly after President Xi discussed options with his French and German counterparts, the first shipments of aid to Ukraine's 44 million people had been sent. The shipments, consisting of milk powder for children, blankets and quilts, arrived via Bucharest on March 12.Subsequent aid convoys brought such items as towels, buckets and torches to Lviv and Chernivtsi in western Ukraine.

In addition, at the request of Ukraine, the Red Cross Society of China is providing more humanitarian aid, including food and daily necessities.

In the meantime, the US has managed to sell and fly into Ukraine a large range of basic and sophisticated weapons, worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Western media disappoint readers with disinformation or coldness about the voices and actions of non-NATO countries during the crisis, railing against nations that are not ready to toe the US line.

China has consistently maintained its anti-war policy. It is not a warmongering and war-profiteering country, in stark contrast to a superpower that highlights its military muscle across the world, especially in squeezing the breathing space for Russia's security.

China's partnership with Russia and Ukraine has been long-standing and built on trust, and it will continue.

China has been Russia's largest trade partner for 12 consecutive years, according to China's Commerce Ministry. In addition, it was the largest importer from Ukraine in 2021, with goods worth $8 billion－up 12.7 percent year-on-year.

Ukraine imported Chinese goods worth $10.97 billion last year, an increase of 31.9 percent year-on-year, according to data from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine.

However biased the Western media have become against China, the Ukrainians will suffer more with the influx of US weaponry, but they will be better off with assistance and solutions from China and others. Whatever the White House claims, time will prove to the rest of the world what kind of solutions work for the better coexistence of Ukraine, Russia and the rest of Europe.

The author is a former chief information officer for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government and a media consultant. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

A draft resolution on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine failed to pass the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday.

Two council members, China and Russia, voted in favor of the resolution, while 13 others abstained. The draft resolution, proposed by Russia, needed at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the five permanent Security Council members: Russia, China, Britain, France or the United States.

Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, reiterated China's position on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, and called on the Security Council to play its due role on the issue.

"We advocate that the Security Council should fulfill its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security and play its due role in the humanitarian issue of Ukraine," Zhang said after the vote. "Like many member states, China has always called for avoiding civilian casualties to the maximum extent and making every effort to ensure basic humanitarian needs."

Zhang reiterated that China has put forward a six-point initiative on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and has provided several consignments of humanitarian relief supplies to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society.

"We welcome any initiative from others that can help alleviate and resolve the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine," he said.

The ambassador mentioned that over the past few weeks, the Security Council has had repeated consultations on the draft resolutions proposed by France and Mexico as well as the Russian Federation.

"China has actively participated in the consultations and has always called on all parties to focus on the humanitarian issue, transcend the political differences and do their best to seek consensus, so as to make positive efforts to address the current humanitarian crisis," Zhang said. "It is regrettable that the Security Council was unable to reach the broadest possible agreement in the end.

"It is the shared wish of the international community for an immediate cease-fire, which is also China's strong expectation," he said.

Zhang said while promoting a cease-fire, the Security Council "should also respond to the humanitarian crisis in a positive, pragmatic and constructive manner".

China's vote in favor of the draft resolution was "based on our call for the international community to attach high importance to the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and for the parties concerned to strengthen coordination on humanitarian issues, so as to effectively protect the safety of civilians, especially women, children and other vulnerable groups and to facilitate the personnel evacuation and humanitarian relief operations", Zhang said.

"We welcome the coordinating role of the UN in humanitarian assistance," said the ambassador.

China supports the work of the coordinator for the Ukraine crisis and encourages agencies to take actions to mobilize the international community to provide humanitarian relief to all those in need, without discrimination, and to help resettle refugees and displaced persons in and around Ukraine, Zhang said.

"The principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality established by UN General Assembly Resolution 46/182 must be strictly observed in humanitarian relief operations," he continued.

Zhang said China adheres to an independent foreign policy and has always determined our position "in a responsible manner based on the merits of the matter itself".

"On Ukraine, China has always insisted that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, that the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be upheld, that the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously and that all efforts conducive to the peaceful resolution of the crisis should be supported," he stressed.

The key to the Ukraine crisis right now is for the parties concerned to show political will and find a proper solution through negotiations as soon as possible, Zhang said.

He said that the international community should create space for peace and leave room for a political solution. The top priority now is to call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoid civilian casualties and prevent a larger-scale humanitarian crisis.

Zhang emphasized that the long-term solution lies in abandoning the Cold War mentality, refraining from bloc confrontations and gradually putting in place a balanced, effective and sustainable global and regional security architecture.

"China will continue to promote talks for peace, speak out for peace and do its best for peace," he said.

KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that he held a phone conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to discuss further assistance to Ukraine.

"We have discussed with the British Prime Minister the course of hostilities and defense assistance to Ukraine," Zelensky tweeted.

Zelensky said that he had received assurances of Johnson's support on the eve of Thursday's meetings of the Group of Seven (G7) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

For his part, Johnson tweeted that he would urge the international community to send more military aid to Ukraine and step up pressure on Russia.

The leaders of G7 and NATO countries will meet for an extraordinary summit in Brussels on Thursday.

From homes and schooling to jobs, the tasks are daunting for front-line states

WARSAW/BUCHAREST－More than 3.5 million people have fled abroad from the conflict in Ukraine, United Nations data showed on Tuesday, leaving Eastern Europe scrambling to provide them with care, schools and jobs even as daily numbers crossing borders ease.

The millions who have left Ukraine since Russia's special military operation began have made their way on foot, by rail, bus or car to neighboring countries such as Poland and Romania before some travel to make their way further into Europe. Most, however, have not done so.

Ukraine established nine humanitarian corridors enabling civilians to leave the conflict-torn areas and the delivery of aid, the presidential press service reported on Wednesday.

While fewer refugees have crossed borders over the past week, the scale of the task of providing homes to those seeking safety in the European Union is becoming increasingly apparent, above all in Eastern and Central Europe.

Poland, home to the biggest Ukrainian diaspora in the region even before the conflict, has taken in more than 2.1 million people and while some plan to head elsewhere, the influx has left public services struggling to cope.

"The number of children of refugees from Ukraine in Polish schools is increasing by about 10,000 per day," Minister of Education Przemyslaw Czarnek told public radio, saying 85,000 children had enrolled.

Czarnek said authorities were organizing courses in basic Polish for Ukrainian teachers so they could be employed in local schools and teach preparatory classes for Ukrainian children before entering the school system.

With men of conscription age obliged to remain in Ukraine, the exodus has consisted primarily of women and children, many wanting to stay in countries near Ukraine to be closer to loved ones left behind.

In a video posted on Twitter, Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski said 10,000 Ukrainian students had enrolled in Warsaw schools and that a variety of options, including Ukrainian online classes, were needed to avoid a collapse of the city's education system.

"We will act, because we want all those young people who are in Warsaw to be able to study, whichever option they choose," he said.

More than 500,000 people have fled to Romania, the second most after Poland.

Cosmina Simiean Nicolescu, head of Bucharest's social assistance unit, said 60 Ukrainian children had begun classes there this week while many private kindergartens and schools had welcomed refugees.

Breaking point

With refugee numbers nearing breaking point in parts of Eastern Europe, Nicolescu said refugees were returning to Romania in the hope of finding a less difficult situation.

"There are people we have personally put on trains to go to the west who we see back at the train station," she said.

The needs of those fleeing shelling and missile attacks across Ukraine, bearing harrowing memories and the pain of separation from family, stretch well beyond education.

The International Organization for Migration, or IOM, has organized psychological first aid training near the Polish border with Ukraine to help volunteers provide care for the many struggling mentally.

Paloma Cuchi, the World Health Organization's representative in Poland, estimated 30,000 of those reaching the country suffered from severe mental problems while half a million needed mental health support due to the conflict.

"Children have been traveling for days without proper food, without proper water, they are tired, worried," she said.

Barbara Slowinska, a school psychologist, said staff at an elementary school in Gdynia, Poland, were working hard to overcome language difficulties and help the 60 children who had arrived from Ukraine integrate.

"We try to talk a lot with the children, as much as we can," she said, adding that adjusting to new surroundings was the paramount concern.

The head of the UN refugee agency UNHCR, Filippo Grandi, said on Sunday that the war had uprooted 10 million people, most of them still displaced within Ukraine.

Agencies - Xinhua

MOSCOW - The United States would not like to see a rapid completion of the Moscow-Kyiv peace talks but hopes that Russia is mired in prolonged hostilities, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday.

"It is unprofitable for Americans that this (negotiation) process will be completed quickly. They want to continue to send weapons to Ukraine," Lavrov said during a meeting with students and teachers of Russia's MGIMO University.

"Apparently, they (Americans) want to keep us in a state of hostilities for as long as possible," he said.

Lavrov expressed concern over the delivery of MiG fighter jets and US Stinger man-portable air defense systems to Ukraine, which will pose "an enormous threat, because they will surely spread all over Europe."

The foreign minister stressed that the United States has used sanctions on Russia as an instrument to maintain its dominance in the world.

"These sanctions are aimed at removing Russia as an obstacle on the way to building a unipolar world ... This is not about Ukraine. This is about the world order in which the United States wants to be the sole sovereign," he said.

Wang Yi exchanges views on Ukraine with Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia

China and Pakistan have voiced their joint support for facilitating peace talks between Russia and Ukraine to ease tensions, saying Ukraine should serve as a bridge for communication between the East and West instead of the forefront of major countries competing with each other.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan made the statement on Tuesday when they met in Islamabad on the sidelines of the 48th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

During their meeting, they urged preventing the Ukraine crisis from spreading.

The United States, Europe and NATO should develop dialogue with Russia and adhere to the principle of unified security to build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture so Europe can avert war and other regions and countries will not be affected, they said.

Wang and the Pakistani prime minister spoke highly of the strategic significance of bilateral ties, agreeing that amid the volatile international landscape, China and Pakistan should further strengthen solidarity and coordination and continue to contribute to stability in the region and the world at large.

Wang was in Islamabad to attend the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

It was the first time a Chinese foreign minister participated in such a meeting, which demonstrated China's and the Islamic world's sincerity in working to enhance exchanges and cooperation, Wang said.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Wang also met separately on Tuesday with, among others, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. They exchanged views about the Ukraine crisis.

Wang and Shoukry both expressed their commitment to addressing the Ukraine crisis with comprehensive resolutions. They said that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected.

Shoukry said Egypt opposes some countries putting pressure on China and it maintains that countries should strengthen cooperation rather than escalate conflict.

Wang and the Saudi Arabian foreign minister stressed during their meeting that all countries' reasonable security concerns should be taken seriously, and they agreed that all countries' sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected.

Both foreign ministers considered preventing the humanitarian crisis, maintaining the peace talk process and staying committed to resolving the conflict through dialogue and negotiation as the pressing tasks now.

They also stressed that every country has the right to have its own views about the issue, and they rejected any external pressure and refused to accept simple black-and-white logic.