China stresses inimical repercussions of Russia-Ukraine crisis as it enters third year

China stressed the need to actively manage the inimical repercussions of the Russia-Ukraine crisis in a UN meeting held on Friday to mark the second anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine conflict that broke out on February 24, 2022.

China's permanent representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, addressed UN Security Council members, saying that the Ukraine crisis has caused "incalculable damage" and its inimical impacts have extended far beyond the borders of Ukraine. 

He warned some countries to stop using the crisis as an excuse to impose unilateral sanctions and "long-arm jurisdiction" and to suppress foreign companies, which he said has disrupted global industrial and supply chains and jeopardized the global trade order.

"China firmly opposes the U.S., the UK and the EU imposing illegal sanctions on Chinese companies on the pretext of the Ukraine crisis," Zhang said, adding China will take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and citizens.

The envoy called for political settlement of the crisis, saying providing arms and stoking the fire is not the solution, and the current urgency should be to stop hostilities, launch direct talks and restore peace.

"The situation Europe is facing today is directly related to the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)," the Chinese ambassador continued, adding that there must be soul-searching and encouraging looking at the world through an objective lens.

We must be responsive to the legitimate concerns of all countries, Zhang said, stating that all countries must stay the course toward common security. 

Read more: Gap widens on Ukraine battlefield as conflict enters third year

Two separate meetings were held on Friday by the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council to discuss the Ukraine crisis as it enters the third year.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced deep concern over the danger of the conflict escalating and expanding at the Security Council. He stated that the conflict is "deepening geopolitical divides, fanning regional instability and shrinking the space available to address other urgent global issues."

He reminded ministers and ambassadors in attendance of the UN principle of the sovereign equality of all its members, saying that as per the UN Charter, international disputes shall be settled by peaceful means, and that all states shall refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any other state.

Dennis Francis, president of the General Assembly, highlighted the destructive effects of the two-year conflict on the environment and the militarization of nuclear sites, adding that the crisis "has affected every member state gathered in this hall — whether in the form of the soaring food prices or in the context of energy insecurity."

Echoing Guterres, Francis also stressed that the conflict has stymied the goals member states had committed to pursue, including grappling with climate change and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Over the past two years, millions of civilians have been uprooted from their homes, while schools and hospitals lay in calculated ruin. 

According to Guterres, at least 10,500 civilians have died in Ukraine. The scale of Russian and Ukrainian military casualties is a closely guarded state secret. Western officials estimate that tens of thousands Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and tens of thousands more wounded, and that Russia has also suffered heavy losses.