Since the tensions between Russia and Ukraine erupted into conflict on Feb 24, China has consistently called for an end to the fighting and for the two sides to engage in negotiations to reach a political solution to the crisis.

In a telephone conversation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Tuesday, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi once again called for the two sides to resolve their differences through dialogue, saying the urgent task at hand is to de-escalate the situation on the ground as much as possible and avoid the intensification or loss of control of the conflict.

Wang said China is extremely concerned about the safety of civilians in Ukraine, where heavy fighting has resulted in more than 536 confirmed civilian casualties, with the actual number expected to be much higher, and the internal displacement of hundreds of thousands.

Chinese citizens in Ukraine are among those at risk, and the process of evacuating overseas Chinese citizens and students from Ukraine is underway. Wang expressed gratitude to the Ukrainian government and society for the support, cooperation and help they were providing.

With Russian and Ukrainian delegates due to meet again on Wednesday, China hopes that the dialogue and negotiation process can bear some fruit, heralding a political settlement that accommodates both sides' legitimate security concerns.

The international community should support the negotiations rather than trying to exploit the crisis.

In the past few days, some developments from Western countries in the name of sanctioning Russia have pointed to a worrying tendency that they view Ukraine as the venue for a proxy war with Russia. That will have a profound impact on strategic equilibrium in Europe and the world at large, and the possibility that it could even ignite a much larger conflict should not be dismissed.

The current crisis in Ukraine is the result of the clash between the strategic interests of Russia and NATO, and it is the United States that has aggravated the situation and is seeking to profit from it by pouring fuel on the fire. With such an ill trend, it is proving hard for some countries to view the situation in the clear light of reason.

The Russia-Ukraine crisis is a wound of the Cold War that has been reopened and salted by Washington. The international community, particularly the European countries, should try and step away from the biases of the past and view the situation objectively. In recent years, the history-should-be-over warriors in the US have been relentless in their efforts to revive the divisions of the Cold War. Now is the time for the rest of the world to say no.

The fear and hysteria being whipped up by Washington make it hard to defuse the Ukraine situation, but it is not impossible if countries remain rational. Further worsening of the situation must be prevented. China will support and encourage all efforts conducive to a peaceful settlement of the crisis.