A press release from the Chinese Mission to the United Nations reports that the Permanent Representatives to the UN of 18 Global South countries now participating in the Group of “Friends for Peace” on the Ukraine Crisis created jointly by China and Brazil, had met on Dec. 18, to discuss the risks of a potential escalation in the conflict and ways they could help to end it. It was the first gathering of the group following the Sept. 27 meeting of their Foreign Ministers on the sidelines of this year’s UN General Assembly.
The message from the December meeting reiterated the view of these nations, that the only way out is to find a solution based on basic principles, such as both respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states and for the legitimate concerns of states, and “the need to uphold the principles of peace, security and prosperity, and the importance of peaceful solutions for all international conflicts, as emphasized by the Bandung principles, inter alia.” It is key to de-escalate the conflict and stop its expansion and intensification. They insist that “a comprehensive and lasting settlement by the parties to the conflict” through diplomacy and political means, starting with a cessation of hostilities, is required.
