A group of 17 countries have joined the Chinese-Brazilian initiative and Turkey is the only NATO member in the group. According to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, “Friends of Peace is not about choosing sides in the conflict, not about bloc confrontation, and not about replacing existing platforms.”
Kyiv had earlier described Beijing’s move as disappointing and illogical. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in May accused Beijing of trying to sabotage a peace summit in Switzerland in June, which Russia and China boycotted.
Meanwhile, Switzerland, a key mediator, praised the latest attempt by China.
Switzerland’s view of the Chinese plan, first issued in May, has shifted since a reference was added to the U.N. Charter — the founding treaty of the global body that commits nations to uphold peace.
“For us, this translates into a significant change in our view of these initiatives,” Nicolas Bideau, chief spokesperson for the Swiss Foreign Affairs Ministry, said, according to Reuters. “A concrete diplomatic effort organized by the Sino-Brazilian group could be of interest to us.”
