Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday called on the United Nations Security Council to mediate differences, advocate for finding common ground and build lasting peace on the Ukraine issue.

The Ukraine crisis has now entered its third year, with the conflict continuing to escalate, civilian casualties increasing and spillover effects intensifying, while the prospect of peace remains distant, said Wang as he attended a UN Security Council high-level meeting on Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York.

Every additional day of the crisis brings more suffering to the people, more destruction to the region, and more instability to the world, he said, adding that this situation is unsustainable and must be reversed with all possible efforts. 

Wang urged all parties to prioritize peace and the well-being of the people, and be genuinely committed to promoting negotiations and facilitating dialogue.

There is an urgent need to heighten awareness of the crisis and reduce tensions, he said. 

The immediate priority is to adhere to three principles: preventing the conflict from spilling over beyond the battlefield, avoiding escalation, and refraining from fueling the conflict, Wang added.

He also emphasized the need to strengthen the sense of responsibility for promoting peace and dialogue and the need to manage the spillover effects of the crisis.

Calls for peace and negotiations have been growing internationally, with more and more countries from the Global South uniting in an effort to create an atmosphere conducive to peace and to accumulate the necessary conditions for it, Wang said, adding that the international community should seize the current opportunity and work together to promote peace and dialogue.

No party should use the crisis as an excuse to impose illegal unilateral sanctions, disrupt normal economic and trade relations, or create exclusive blocs that divide the world, according to Wang.

He called on the international community to strengthen cooperation in key areas such as energy, finance, trade, food security, and the protection of vital infrastructure like oil and gas pipelines.