China, Brazil and other Global South countries are working to create a platform for resolving the Ukraine crisis.
This was announced by Wang Yi, head of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and Chinese Foreign Minister, after his meeting with Brazilian Presidential Advisor Celso Amorim on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. «This is an effort by China, Brazil and the countries of the Global South to achieve peace», Wang Yi said. According to the minister, the «Friends of Peace» is not a closed group, but an open platform; it does not seek competition or confrontation, but rather an inclusive dialogue. The new platform will serve as an «objective and rational voice» and play a constructive role in the political settlement of the Ukrainian issue. Such a development has already been predicted by GEOFOR («Could the road to conflict resolution pass through Kazan?» https://geofor.ru/ru/news/2593/).
It is known that many countries, including South Africa and Indonesia, have proposed their settlement plans and offered mediation services. The so-called peace summit held last summer under the auspices of Western countries and Ukraine did not produce any concrete results. China and India ignored the summit, stating that no peace initiatives would work without Russia’s participation. The participants discussed three points of the «peace formula» — nuclear safety, exchange of prisoners on the «all for all» principle, and safe navigation. Zelensky promised to convey the agreed plan of action to the Russian representatives and to mark the end of the military conflict at the second «peace summit».
In May 2024, China, together with Brazil, presented its «peace plan» for resolving the situation in Ukraine. It calls for the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to areas affected by the fighting, the protection of civilians, the exchange of prisoners of war, and a halt to the expansion of combat zones. On the eve of the China-Africa summit, the initiative was endorsed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who had previously tried to mediate in the conflict. Support for the Sino-Brazilian «common understanding» on ways to politically resolve the Ukrainian crisis was also recorded in a joint statement by Cyril Ramaphosa and Xi Jinping following their talks. «Both sides agreed that inclusive dialogue and peaceful negotiations are the only real political ways to find a long-term solution to the crisis. Both sides call on relevant parties to adhere to three principles: not to expand the battlefield, not to escalate hostilities, and not to allow provocations», the document reads.
In early August, China’s special representative for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui, who serves as a negotiator on Ukraine, visited Indonesia. During his visit, he proposed to Umar Hadi, director of the Indonesian Foreign Ministry’s Department of American and European Affairs, to jointly create conditions for the resumption of direct dialogue between Moscow and Kiev. Mr. Hadi «highly appreciated the positive role of the agreements reached by China and Brazil» and expressed his willingness to cooperate with Beijing in finding a solution to the crisis. That same August, China’s Foreign Ministry announced that the Sino-Brazilian peace plan had received the support of «more than 110 countries».
Ukraine, the European Union and the United States initially rejected this plan, considering it to be in Russia’s interest. However, as reported by Politico, at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Chinese representatives conducted extensive «behind-the-scenes work» to expand the number of supporters for their plan to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This was also confirmed by the Ukrainian side, which issued a special statement in New York claiming that China is allegedly persuading as many countries as possible to support its peace plan.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky told the UN Security Council that the military conflict with Russia «cannot be stopped by negotiations alone» and that «action is needed». «There is no separate Russian-Iranian or Chinese-Brazilian UN charter», the Ukrainian leader said, criticizing countries that propose negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin or peace plans that include «concessions» to Moscow.
Nevertheless, on September 20, Zelensky announced his intention to organize a second peace summit this year that would put an end to the conflict. «The kind of period that will never become an ellipse», the Ukrainian leader declared. The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, has already ruled out Russia’s participation in this event.
In other words, of all the peace plans ever proposed by the Global South, only the Chinese plan, which has now evolved into the «Sino-Brazilian» plan, remains on the agenda. Hungary and Mexico are ready to join the «Friends of Peace» group. The Hungarian Foreign Minister has positively assessed the Sino-Brazilian initiative, which he believes has potential because of «Western fatigue». This platform is opposed by the Western coalition supported by some developing countries. However, according to recent leaks, negotiations are underway with France and Switzerland to join the initiative. It seems that more and more countries are beginning to recognize the dangers of an escalating conflict that could potentially turn into a nuclear war.
Zelensky, who criticizes China for its allegedly beneficial initiatives for Moscow, nevertheless points out that more and more countries are inclined to support the Sino-Brazilian plan. Although he still considers his «peace formula» the only acceptable basis, the Ukrainian president does not rule out the possibility of convening a new summit with Russia’s participation. The «Friends of Peace» also advocate this. Brazilian presidential aide Celso Amorim said that the platform is ready to hold such a summit if the conditions for its organization are favorable. According to Amorim, the «Friends of Peace» are neither friends of Russia nor friends of Ukraine, but peace-loving countries that support the idea of ending the conflict in Ukraine.
As we recall, on September 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not rule out the possibility of negotiations with Ukraine. He assured that Russia has «never refused» to engage in peace talks if Ukraine «really wants to move toward peaceful negotiations and resolve these issues peacefully». But he added that, for now, Moscow must «deal with the bandits who have infiltrated» the Kursk region.
In short, the Sino-Brazilian initiative is gaining more and more support, which even the West can no longer ignore. It is no coincidence that Polish President Andrzej Duda noted that many want the conflict in Ukraine to end and economic ties with Russia to be restored. «Many are waiting for this war to end so that they can return to business with Russia», he said in an interview with Polsat TV.
Therefore, it is possible that during the upcoming BRICS summit in Kazan, where many members of the «Friends of Peace» group will gather, there will be new developments on this issue.