The Group of Friends for Peace had a "highly successful meeting" at the United Nations on Thursday during which it called for the Global South's input on the conflict in Ukraine.

"Recognizing that there can be no settlement by military means only and that these deepen human suffering, from the very beginning we have consistently advocated for an early peaceful resolution and the need to observe principles for de-escalation and the importance of non-expansion of the battlefield and non-intensification of fighting," said Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, in a group statement.

"We firmly believe that only a negotiated political solution, including inclusive diplomacy and political means based on the UN Charter, can bring this conflict to an end."

Last September, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Brazil, China, South Africa, Egypt, Indonesia, Turkiye and other countries, as partners of the Global South committed to the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, agreed to launch the Group of Friends for Peace initiative on the Ukraine crisis using the broader platform of the United Nations.

The group said last year that it is not about taking sides in the conflict, engaging in bloc confrontation, or replacing existing platforms. It said it hopes to rely on the United Nations to bring together more Global South countries and send more objective, balanced and rational voices, so as to create conditions and an atmosphere for a ceasefire, an end to hostilities and the resumption of peace talks.

The platform is open and is ready to welcome more like-minded countries, in particular the Global South countries.

"Deeply troubled by the prolonged hostilities and the immense negative impacts they have caused, we were among the first to call for an immediate and complete ceasefire — a call we firmly reiterate today," Fu said.

Sergio Franca Danese, Brazil's UN ambassador, said: "Recent developments suggest that the conflict might be approaching a turning point, with the focus shifting from the battlefield to the negotiating table. We welcome this potential shift and see it as an opportunity to generate new momentum toward ending the conflict.

"This could mark a critical step toward peace and pave the way for meaningful and sustainable progress," he said.

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