BEIJING - China firmly opposes unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law, and will continue to conduct normal trade cooperation with Russia, including trade in oil and gas, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily press briefing following the US ban on Russian oil and other energy imports announced on Tuesday.

According to media reports, Britain on the same day said it will phase out imports of Russian oil by the end of the year, and the European Union has devised a proposal to free itself of its dependency on Russian fossil fuels before 2030.

In response, Zhao said that sanctions will not bring peace or security, but will only cause severe difficulties for the economies and people's livelihoods of relevant countries.

They will result in a situation where multiple players lose, and will enhance division and confrontation, he said.

China and Russia maintain good cooperation in the energy sector, and will continue to conduct normal trade cooperation in the spirit of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, the spokesperson said.

When asked to comment on White House press secretary Jen Psaki's remarks that the United States has the means to "take steps" if China does not abide by the sanctions on Russia, Zhao said that China will take all necessary measures to resolutely defend the legitimate interests of Chinese companies and individuals.

Sanctions are never a fundamental and effective way to solve problems, and China firmly opposes any form of unilateral sanctions or long-arm jurisdiction from the US side, he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict with Russia, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Wednesday.

"The war must end. We must sit down at the negotiating table," Zelensky was quoted as saying.

The talks should be "honest, objective, in the interests of the people", he said in a video message on Tuesday night.

Ukrainian and Russian delegations have held three rounds of peace talks in Belarus since last week, though the negotiations ended without a significant breakthrough.

On Thursday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is set to meet his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Turkey.

Ukraine and Russia have agreed upon six humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported on Wednesday, citing Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk.

Vereshchuk said the conflicting sides will cease hostilities to evacuate civilians from Energodar town in southern Ukraine; Sumy city in the northeastern part of the country; Mariupol, Izum and Volnovakha cities in eastern Ukraine; and seven cities and towns around Kiev.

The ceasefire will last from 9:00 am local time (0700 GMT) to 9:00 pm local time (1900 GMT) Wednesday, Vereshchuk said.

WASHINGTON - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries are using the Ukraine crisis to pursue longer-term militaristic projects, according to a US media outlet report.

"After the end of the United States' 20-year occupation of Afghanistan, and after two decades of the 'war on terror', this is precisely the time to critically evaluate the impacts of US militarism and push for demilitarization," said an article published on the website of Yes! Magazine on Monday.

"Instead, Washington is doing the opposite, with (US President Joe) Biden reportedly considering a record 770-billion dollar military budget for 2023," said the article authored by Khury Petersen-Smith, the Michael Ratner Middle East Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies.

The article called on people in the West to demand their governments open doors to Ukrainians who have left their country, and "to all refugees, actually, many of whom are displaced by US violence and that of its allies."

"What we cannot do is allow Washington and the leaders of NATO countries to use the current nightmare unfolding in Ukraine to justify more militarization and plans for future wars," said the article.

"Unfortunately, the path they are pursuing is precisely that," it said.

The author believed that the economic sanctions the United States and its allies are currently leveling against Russia must be rejected, saying: "Sanctions, which officials often hold up as an alternative to war, are better understood as an act of war."

On Monday, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators ended their third round of peace talks in Belarus, with a negotiator saying the fourth round will take place in "the very near future".

Meanwhile, the Russian armed forces announced a ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors in four Ukrainian cities starting 10 am Moscow time (0700 GMT) on Monday, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

It later declared a "silence regime" and the opening of humanitarian corridors for the safe evacuation of civilians in Ukraine starting 10 am Moscow time (0700 GMT) on Tuesday.

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday banned the import of Russian crude oil in retaliation for Moscow's military operation in Ukraine, a move that is expected to further increase surging oil prices in the US and add to inflation already at its fastest pace in 40 years.

News of the ban sent US gasoline prices to their highest level ever recorded, with a gallon of regular selling for an average of $4.17 Tuesday, up from $3.62 a month ago and $2.77 a year ago.

A month ago, oil was selling for about $90 a barrel. Now prices are surging around $130 a barrel.

Wall Street's main benchmarks attempted a comeback into Tuesday's close but turned lower.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reacted to Biden's announcement with a decree instructing his cabinet to produce a list of items to stop importing and exporting until the end of 2022. Russia also this week threatened to cut the flow of gas via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Europe in response to the West's financial penalties, Bloomberg reported.

A poll by The Wall Street Journal published Tuesday showed Americans overwhelmingly support a ban, with 79 percent favoring it and 13 percent opposed. The ban had support from 77 percent of Republicans and 88 percent of Democrats.

The Journal poll surveyed 529 registered voters from March 4-7 about their opinion on halting Russian energy imports.

Shortly after Biden's announcement, the UK, which imports 8 percent of its oil from Russia, announced it will phase out Russian oil imports by the end of the year. That will allow enough time for companies to adjust and consumers to be protected as alternative supplies are found, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement.

The European Commission — the executive arm of the European Union, which is heavily dependent on Russian oil and gas — announced Tuesday a plan to cut gas imports from Russia by two-thirds this year.

The White House said the ban on new purchases was effective immediately, but the administration was allowing a 45-day "wind down" for delivery under existing contracts.

Russia produces about 11 percent of the world's oil, or roughly 10.5 million barrels a day.

A ban by Russia on oil and natural gas would hurt Europe. Russia provides about 40 percent of Europe's natural gas for home heating, electricity and industry uses and about a quarter of Europe's oil.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell said last week that the consequences of Russia's military operation in Ukraine could ultimately amount to a "game changer''.

"The risk of a policy error, and therefore a US recession, is rising quickly," Joseph LaVorgna, chief economist for the Americas at Natixis, said in a note to clients, The Wall Street Journal reported.

But David Bahnsen, chief investment officer of the Bahnsen Group, said in a note: "Surging oil prices can't singularly trigger a recession and it would take more than sky-high energy prices for the consumer impact to become recessionary."

"The United States economy can fully handle any of the challenges associated with higher oil prices," Jason Furman, a Harvard professor and former top economic adviser to President Barack Obama told NBC News. "But it will bring some challenges. We're going to have higher prices at the pump, and there's no way around that.''

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell made it clear that Republican lawmakers would continue to criticize Biden for rising gasoline prices.

"I expect our Democratic friends will now try to blame the entire increase in prices on our efforts to punish Russia. But don't be fooled," McConnell of Kentucky said. "This was more than a year in the making."

Speaking from the White House, Biden warned energy companies against "price gouging" and told them not to "exploit this situation or American consumers".

He vowed to use his authority to minimize the impact on Americans and assailed companies that are trying to exploit consumers with price gouging.

If Russia were eventually shut off from the global market, countries such as Iran and Venezuela might be "welcomed back" as sources of oil, said Claudio Galimberti, senior vice-president of analysis at Rystad Energy. Such additional sources could, in turn, potentially stabilize prices, he told NBC News.

A team of Biden administration officials were in Venezuela over the weekend to discuss energy and other issues, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

Both Republican and Democratic senators warned the Biden administration from seeking any oil import deal from the Nicolas Maduro government in Venezuela.

WASHINGTON - US President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced the imposition of an energy embargo on Russia, banning US imports of oil, liquified natural gas and coal from Russia over its ongoing military operations in Ukraine.

"This means Russian oil will no longer be acceptable to US ports," the president said in remarks he delivered from the White House. He claimed the move will deal a "powerful blow" to Russia's ability to sustain funding for its military operations, while also admitting that it will backfire on Americans at home by causing continued price hike at gas stations.

The gas price at the pump, Biden said, "went up 75 cents" since Russia launched the military operations. "With this action, it's going to go up further," he added.

The average price for US gasoline hit a record high of 4.173 dollars per gallon on Tuesday, according to the American Automobile Association, whose data showed the price was 15 percent higher than a week earlier and 21 percent higher than a month earlier.

Meanwhile, the European Union, which relies on Russia for some 40 percent of its natural gas supplies, announced earlier Tuesday a set of comparatively limited measures, reducing imports of Russia natural gas by two-thirds this year and aiming to be free from dependence before 2030. The United States is far less dependent on Russian energy than European countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently said at a meeting with women flight crews of Russian airlines that the wave of Western sanctions is akin to a "declaration of war".

It was "a difficult decision" to launch a special military operation in Ukraine, but there are "absolutely real threats" to Russia, Putin said, adding that if Ukraine joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the whole military bloc is obliged to support Kiev militarily.

Russia said on Monday that moves by some Western nations to ban Russian oil imports would have "catastrophic" consequences, with the warning from a senior official deepening concerns about the economic fallout from actions taken against Moscow as more talks with Ukraine brought no results.

In the United States, which has been at the forefront of sanctions against Russia following its military operation in Ukraine, lawmakers in the House of Representatives and the Senate on Monday agreed on legislation to ban energy imports from the country. Last month Germany halted certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, an $11-billion project built to double the supply of Russian gas to Europe's biggest economy.

"A ban on Russian oil will lead to catastrophic consequences for the global market," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said. "The surge in prices will be unpredictable-more than $300 per barrel, if not more."

Novak said that it would be "impossible" to quickly replace Russian oil on the European market.

"European politicians should then honestly warn their citizens, consumers what awaits them and that prices at gas stations, for electricity, for heating will skyrocket," he said.

He said that in retaliation for the suspension of the gas pipeline, Russia could stop supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. "So far we have not made this decision," he added.

No breakthrough

The threat of more measures against Russia came as the third round of talks with Ukraine, held in Belarus on Monday evening, failed to yield results.

The chief of the Russian delegation, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, and his counterpart, Ukrainian presidential office adviser Mikhail Podolyak, acknowledged that nothing arose from the meeting that might improve the security situation.

Both sides agreed to press on with negotiations, but no dates or venues have been proposed for a new round of talks.

Russia said on Monday that it would open humanitarian corridors for civilians to flee pummeled Ukrainian cities, but Kyiv accused Moscow of making it impossible for them to escape.

Russia's Defense Ministry said it would open the corridors from Tuesday morning, subject to Ukraine's approval.

The ministry proposed routes from Kyiv as well as the cities of Mariupol, Kharkiv and Sumy. Ukraine did not initially respond to the offer.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Monday it had received reports of artillery shells damaging a second nuclear facility in Kharkiv.

Because the research facility's "inventory of radioactive material is very low" and kept at a "subcritical" state, the IAEA said, "the damage reported to it would not have had any radiological consequence".

It is a good sign that the warring parties in Ukraine are trying to end the fighting through diplomatic efforts.

Although the third round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia ended in Belarus on Monday with no breakthroughs being made, that the two sides have held three rounds of negotiations — the previous two being on Feb 28 and March 3 — since the conflict started on Feb 24, with both saying they want to continue their dialogue, shows neither of them wants the war to drag on.

Reportedly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba have agreed to meet on Thursday. And importantly, the three rounds of negotiations have not been a waste of time. The negotiators of the Ukrainian side have said that the two sides are engaged in continual intensive consultations on a cease-fire and security guarantees, while Russia's top negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said the talks will continue, and "we hope that we will be able to make a more significant step forward next time".

All wars have an end. They end quicker if negotiations are able to secure a cease-fire that allows calmer heads to resolve differences. At the moment it is crucial that the two sides are trying to pause the fighting so they can talk.

In his telephone conversation with Josep Borrell, the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy on Monday, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on other parties to support this goal rather than pouring oil on fire by imposing sanctions and providing weapons, which will "only further complicate and amplify the situation". Noting that he hoped that the international community would support Russia and Ukraine engaging in sincere negotiations, Wang said that China is willing to play a constructive role within its ability to help de-escalate the situation. He called on the EU to also hold talks with Russia on European security issues, with the aim of forming a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism.

Regrettably, the US administration is working with the opposite intent. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who traveled to Belgium, Poland, Moldova, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and France from March 3 to 8, has spent most of his time hyping up Russia as a threat and further aggravating the estrangement between Russia and the EU.

The US is aware of how to help bring peace to Ukraine as soon as possible. But it is still delivering weapons, imposing sanctions and spreading hatred and fear as it seeks to unite the divide at home, divide the unity in Europe and divert attention from its failings ahead of the mid-term elections.

Lamenting the fact that the situation in Ukraine has come to this stage, China is willing to work with the international community to carry out mediation with the aim of solving the problems, not promoting empty talk that simply reinforces the existing animosities.

KYIV/MOSCOW - Russian and Ukrainian negotiators failed to achieve major breakthrough during their third round of peace talks in Belarus on Monday, while a negotiator said the fourth round will take place in "the very near future."

"The discussions continued on political and military aspects. However, it remains difficult. It is too early to talk about something positive," Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, also the head of the Russian delegation, said following the third round of talks.

Russian negotiators brought specific agreements to the talks, but the Ukrainian side refused to sign them on the spot and took the documents back home for further study, he told reporters.

"To be honest, our expectations from the talks were not met. But we hope that next time we will be able to take a more significant step forward," Medinsky said after the meeting, which lasted nearly three hours at the Belovezhskaya Pushcha on the Belarus-Poland border.

Both sides addressed the issue of civilian evacuation, and the Ukrainian side assured Russia that the humanitarian corridors would start working on Tuesday, he said.

Leonid Slutsky, member of the Russian delegation and head of the International Affairs Committee of the lower house of the Russian parliament, said that the fourth round of talks would take place in the near future, Sputnik reported on Monday.

"And the next round, given that the rounds take place almost every other day, so the next, fourth round will take place in Belarus in the very, very near future. I can't name the exact date yet," Slutsky said after the third round of negotiations as aired by Russia's Rossiya 24 broadcaster.

On the same day, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a telephone conversation with Josep Borrell, the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.

During the conversation, Borrell briefed Wang on the EU's position on Ukraine, saying the most important thing at present is to cease fire and avoid further massive casualties.

The EU supports solving the issue through negotiations, he said.

For his part, Wang said the top priority now is to avoid a humanitarian crisis, adding that China has publicly put forth a six-point initiative on preventing a humanitarian crisis in Ukraine aimed at promoting synergy among the international community to avoid a further deterioration of the situation.

Wang said that Russia and Ukraine should be encouraged to hold peace talks and that the Chinese side has advocated dialogue from the very start.

He said he hopes that the international community can support sincere negotiations between Russia and Ukraine involving a ceasefire, ending the conflict and peace.

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba are expected to meet in Turkey's southern province of Antalya on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum, according to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

The meeting would be held in a tripartite format, Cavusoglu said at a press conference on Monday, while hoping it would "be a turning point."

On Monday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova confirmed that Lavrov and Kuleba plan to meet in Antalya. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to the meeting during their recent phone conversation.

Meanwhile, according to the Ukrainian UNIAN news agency, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said that Kyiv is exploring the possibility of such a meeting in Turkey.

BEIJING -- Another two temporary flights carrying Chinese citizens evacuated from Ukraine returned home safely on Tuesday.

At 7:25 a.m., the first flight arrived in Zhengzhou City in central China, and the second flight arrived at 12:13 p.m. in Shenyang of northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Prior to today, four temporary flights taking Chinese nationals back from Ukraine have already returned home safely.

China's ambassador to the United Nations on Monday called on parties to the Ukraine conflict to ensure the safety of humanitarian corridors.

The situation in Ukraine is still changing sharply, and reports of civilian casualties continue to increase, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN. "China calls on all parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint, effectively increase diplomatic efforts, let the war stop, effectively protect the safety of civilian life and property and basic needs, and prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis,"

Russia, Ukraine reached agreement on the establishment of humanitarian corridors, Zhang said. "I hope Russia and Ukraine can overcome the obstacles encountered during the implementation process, ensuring a safe humanitarian corridor."

Zhang reiterated a six-point initiative put forwarded by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on preventing a large-scale humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

First, humanitarian assistance should be made in accordance with the principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality as set forth in General Assembly Resolution 46/182, and avoid politicization.

Second, full attention should be given to the displaced people in and from Ukraine, and efforts should be made to provide them with proper shelter, Wang said.

Third, Wang called for ensuring the protection of civilians and preventing secondary humanitarian disasters in Ukraine.

Fourth, efforts should be made to guarantee safe and smooth humanitarian aid activities, including providing rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, Wang noted.

Fifth, he called for ensuring the safety of foreign nationals in Ukraine, allowing them safe departure and helping them return to their home countries.

Sixth, support should be given to the UN's coordinating role in channeling humanitarian aid and the work of the UN crisis coordinator for Ukraine, Wang added.

Zhang said that during the evacuation of Chinese citizens, the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian community have given friendly assistance. Russia, Moldova, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Belarus also provide valuable support. "We express our heartfelt thanks to governments and people," the envoy said.

"The situation in Ukraine has become what it is today for a variety of complex reasons, and what is needed to solve such a complex issue is a cool head and a rational mind, not adding fuel to the fire which only intensifies the situation," said Zhang.

To resolve the current crisis, Zhang said, we must "uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and respect and protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries; to uphold the principle of indivisible security and respect the legitimate security concerns of relevant parties; to rely on dialogue, negotiation and peaceful means for dispute resolution; to aim for long-term regional stability and forge a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism."

"China will continue to speak out and do its best for peace. China supports and encourages all diplomatic efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, and discouraged action that may escalate the situation in Ukraine," he said.

"Imposing unilateral sanctions is not a fundamental and effective way to solve problem, it will bring about serious humanitarian consequences. Providing defensive weapons to Ukraine, or even the dispatching mercenaries to the combat zones in Ukraine, may escalate the situation and bring more risks," said Zhang.

MOSCOW/MINSK - Russian and Ukrainian negotiators failed to achieve significant results during their third round of peace talks in Belarus on Monday.

"The discussions continued on political and military aspects. However, it remains difficult. It is too early to talk about something positive," Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, also the head of the Russian delegation, said following the talks.

Russian negotiators brought a large set of documents, including specific agreements, but the Ukrainian side could not sign them on the spot and took all these documents back home for study, he told reporters.

"To be honest, our expectations from the talks were not met. But we hope that next time we will be able to take a more significant step forward," Medinsky said after the meeting, which lasted nearly three hours at the Belovezhskaya Pushcha on the Belarus-Poland border.

Both sides addressed the issue of civilian evacuation, and the Ukrainian side assured Russia that the humanitarian corridors will start working on Tuesday, he said.

"There was some positive progress when it comes to improving the logistics of humanitarian corridors," Mykhailo Podoliak, advisor to the Head of the President's Office of Ukraine, tweeted after the negotiations.

"Today there were no results that would significantly improve the situation. Nevertheless, I emphasize once again that the consultations will continue," Podoliak said in a video message posted on Twitter.

Russia brings in cease-fire in efforts for humanitarian corridors to hold in 4 Ukrainian cities

Russia's Defense Ministry on Monday announced a temporary cease-fire to enable residents to leave four Ukrainian cities via humanitarian corridors.

Taking into account the "catastrophic humanitarian situation and its sharp aggravation in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy and Mariupol", the decision was made at the request of French President Emmanuel Macron to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the ministry said in a statement.

But the Elysee Palace said no such request was made, with Macron insisting on "the respect of international humanitarian law, the protection of civilian populations and the supply of aid".

The announcement represents the latest effort to firm up humanitarian corridors from cities in Ukraine, with moves to evacuate people from the Black Sea port city of Mariupol failing on two prior occasions amid recriminations from both sides.

On Monday, Russia published evacuation routes from the designated four Ukrainian cities, and reported the information to the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, according to the ministry. The cease-fire and humanitarian corridors were taking effect from 10 am that day.

Moscow demanded that the Ukrainian authorities establish the conditions for the creation of humanitarian corridors and ensure an organized withdrawal of civilians and foreign citizens, the Russian statement said.

Ukraine rejected Moscow's offer of establishing humanitarian corridors to Russia and Belarus, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said later on Monday. "This is not an acceptable option," she said.

Since Russia announced a special military operation against Ukraine on Feb 24, the two sides have had two rounds of negotiations in neighboring Belarus in search of a solution to the crisis. An agreement to open a humanitarian corridor for civilians to get out arose from the second meeting, on Thursday.

A new round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia got underway on Monday afternoon, with the talks to focus on humanitarian corridors, a Russian negotiator was reported as saying.

The latest moves came after another night of advances by Russian forces from the air, land and sea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded that Moscow take full responsibility over the civilian deaths.

The two prior attempts to let thousands of civilians leave Mariupol collapsed after civilians came under fire, with each side accusing the other of agreement violations.

'Human suffering'

On Sunday, the failure of the second evacuation coincided with the International Committee of the Red Cross saying some 200,000 people were trying to leave the port city, with "devastating scenes of human suffering".

There was no letup in the violence from fighting that spilled overnight into Monday. Air raid sirens rang out in cities across the country, and there was an intense aerial bombardment of Kharkiv, which has endured almost nonstop fire in recent days.

Russia's Defense Ministry accused the Ukrainian security forces of planning to blow up a reactor at the National Research Center of the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology.

The Ukrainians in turn accused the Russian Armed Forces of launching projectiles at an experimental nuclear reactor.

The United Nations' nuclear watchdog on Sunday expressed "deep concern" over reports that communication from Europe's largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine has been disrupted.

Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine on Friday.

On Monday, Russia said the country backs International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi's idea of a trilateral meeting with Ukraine on ensuring the safety of nuclear facilities there but not at Chernobyl as Grossi wants, Moscow's envoy to the watchdog said.

On the economic front, Russia approved on Monday a list of foreign states and territories that commit unfriendly actions against Russia, its companies, and citizens, according to the TASS news agency.

The affected countries included those in the European Union, the United States, Britain and Japan.

Xinhua and agencies contributed to this story.

renqi@chinadaily.com.cn

 The United Nations refugee agency said on Monday that 1.7 million people have fled Ukraine since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began.

Oil prices went up by almost 20 percent on Monday after the United States said it was in "active discussions" with Europe about banning Russian imports.

BEIJING - Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday held a telephone conversation with Josep Borrell, the European Union (EU)'s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.

During their phone conversation, Borrell briefed the EU side's views and positions on the current situation in Ukraine, saying the most important thing at present is to cease fire and avoid further massive casualties.

The EU supports solving the issue through negotiations, he said.

Noting that China is a peace-loving country, he said he hopes the Chinese side can play its role in encouraging and bringing about a ceasefire, and in pushing the parties concerned to set foot on a path of negotiations and political settlement.

For his part, Wang said China laments the fact that the situation in Ukraine has come to this stage, adding that sanctions will not solve problems, and that escalating sanctions will only further complicate and amplify the situation.

The top priority now is to avoid a humanitarian crisis, Wang said, adding that China has publicly put forth a six-point initiative on preventing a humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, mainly aimed at promoting synergy among the international community to avoid further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

Wang said that Russia and Ukraine should be encouraged to hold peace talks, and that the Chinese side has advocated dialogue from the very start.

He said he hopes that the international community can support Russia and Ukraine to have sincere negotiations, which should not only continue in the future, but also lead to ceasefire, end of conflicts, and peace.

China is willing to continuously play a constructive role within its ability in de-escalating the situation, Wang said, adding he hopes the EU side will have comprehensive and sincere dialogue with Russia in the future on European security issues, and form a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism in accordance with the "indivisibility of security" principle.

Under the current circumstance, China and the EU, as two major forces in the world, should work together to make good preparations for the China-EU Summit, so as to send a positive signal to the world, Wang said.

Borrell said that the EU side stands ready to work with China to jointly push forward the further development of EU-China ties.

ANKARA - The foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine will meet in Turkey's southern province of Antalya on Thursday, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday.

During a press conference, the diplomat noted that the meeting would be held in a tripartite format, as part of Turkey's "intense effort" to bring both sides together.

"Russian Foreign Minister (Sergei) Lavrov said that he was ready to attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. Ukrainian Foreign Minister (Dmytro) Kuleba also announced that he will attend," Cavusoglu said, hoping that the meeting "will be a turning point."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Monday confirmed that Lavrov and Kuleba are planning "a contact" in Antalya, and the meeting was agreed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin during their recent phone conversation.

Erdogan was quoted in a statement by the Turkish presidency as saying that Turkey is ready to contribute to resolving the Ukraine crisis by peaceful means as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, according to the Ukrainian UNIAN news agency, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said that Kyiv is exploring the possibility of such a meeting in Turkey.

Scholars, politicians and representatives of international organizations are expected to join in this year's diplomatic forum from Friday to Sunday, ahead of which Turkey will also host the 8th Istanbul Mediation Conference in Antalya on Thursday.

MOSCOW/MINSK - The third round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations has started in neighboring Belarus, Russia's TASS news agency reported Monday.

KYIV -- Ukraine's existing nuclear power plants (NPPs) continue to operate stably, the country's state-run nuclear energy operator Energoatom said in a statement on Monday.

"Radiation, fire and environmental conditions at NPPs and adjacent territories have not changed and are within current standards," Energoatom said on Facebook.

The Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, the largest one in Europe, was captured by the Russian military on Feb 5.

The Zaporizhzhya plant is currently under Russia's control, and Ukrainian employees of the plant are trying to ensure the safe operation of nuclear facilities, Energoatom said.

In hindsight, the tragedy that is now unfolding in Ukraine could have been averted if some of the parties involved had focused more on seeking a diplomatic solution rather than taking steps that have only served to precipitate the conflict.

Given that it is now the military alliance's consensus that Ukraine's membership of NATO "will not take place", as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, an earlier clarification of that stance would have been opportune. Now, more than 10 days after Russia launched its "special military operation" in Ukraine, the humanitarian crisis continues to worsen while the prognosis for the ongoing military conflict remains grim.

More than 1.5 million refugees have fled from Ukraine into neighboring countries in "the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II", said Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, on Sunday. Many more are still trapped in towns and cities by the fighting.

Meanwhile, Moscow told Ukraine's neighbors and its allies in NATO on Sunday that hosting Ukrainian military aircraft could be considered as direct involvement in the war, following the warning it has already made that any country imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine will have entered into a military conflict with Russia.

Given the high stakes involved in case of a miscalculation or misjudgment, speaking on the sidelines of the fifth session of the 13th National People's Congress on Monday, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi once again called for countries to support direct talks between Ukraine and Russia and to refrain from taking any steps that might further complicate the situation.

It has been China's consistent stance that the Ukraine crisis can only be resolved through dialogue and negotiations, rather than military actions or sanctions. Talks between Russia and Ukraine are the only way for the two sides to agree on a cease-fire. And extensive negotiations between Russia and the United States, NATO and the European Union are the only way to resolve the deeper issues that have led to the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine.

Yet until the other Western countries are prepared to stand on their own two feet, the US will continue to drag them into chaos and war as it seeks to maintain the primacy of its influence worldwide.

Washington, alarmed at the growing trade relations between European countries and Russia, has taken the opportunity of the vacuum in European leadership resulting from former German chancellor Angela Merkel stepping down to engineer a breakdown in trust between the two sides and draw the EU closer to the US. It is seeking to do the same thing in the Asia-Pacific with its regional allies by demonizing China and provoking the latter on the Taiwan question.

As the swelling catalog of suffering worldwide shows, Washington's world view and the actions it takes to manifest it are neither constructive nor inspiring but instead destructive and enervating.