President, 

I thank the briefers for the briefings.

The crisis in Ukraine continues to drag on and the war has already caused too many casualties. To continue the flow of weapons to the battlefield will only exacerbate the risk of worsening the crisis and does not contribute to the de-escalation of the situation, realization of a ceasefire, or an end to the fighting. It is better to end the war through negotiations rather than through gunfire. China once again calls on all parties concerned to, in a responsible manner, intensify their diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire and put an end to the fighting, so as to promote an early political settlement of the crisis and bring about an early dawn of peace.

The crisis in Ukraine has complex historical and practical causes. In essence, it is a major outbreak of security conflicts in Europe. China is not the manufacturer of the crisis nor a party to the conflict. We have not provided lethal weapons or equipment to any of the parties to the conflict. Nor have we done or will do anything to profit from the crisis. China's position on the Ukraine issue has always been consistent and clear. We are committed to being an advocate for peace and promoter of peace talks. China supports the timely convening of an international conference recognized by both Russia and Ukraine with equal participation of all parties to discuss all peace options in a fair manner. Both track one and track two can be explored. We are ready to provide the necessary conditions for Russia and Ukraine to conduct negotiations. And we will make unremitting efforts to achieve an early political settlement of the crisis.

Thank you, President.