China supports the United Nations Security Council's working group in promptly reviewing grave violations against children and taking necessary actions to end the violations against children, China's permanent representative to the United Nations Fu Cong said at a Security Council open meeting on children and armed conflict on Wednesday.
Fu noted that children are the most innocent victims and most vulnerable groups in armed conflicts.
According to the findings of the UN secretary-general's latest report on children and armed Conflict, a record 41,370 grave violations against children were documented in 2024, a 25 percent increase compared to the previous year. Among them, nearly 12,000 children were killed or disabled, with the level of violence being unprecedented.
So far, children in the Gaza Strip remain trapped in the midst of war and hunger. More than 17,000 children have been killed in the Gaza Strip. In addition, children in Haiti are also in dire straits due to violence, the recruitment of children into gangs, and sexual violence.
China welcomes the Secretary-General's inclusion of grave violations against children in Gaza, Haiti, and other regions in the list, and supports the Security Council's working group in promptly reviewing violence against children and taking necessary actions, the Chinese envoy said.
China supports actions to end violations against children: UN envoy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Ukraine stands ready to agree to security guarantees based on NATO's Article 5 as part of a compromise in the peace process, according to media reports.
"From the very beginning, Ukraine's desire was to join NATO, these are real security guarantees. Some partners from the United States and Europe did not support this direction," the Ukrinform news agency quoted Zelensky.
Zelensky said Article 5-like guarantees from the United States and from European partners, as well as from other countries, "would provide an opportunity to prevent another arrival of Russian troops." He also called it "a compromise on our part."
Zelensky said he was not yet ready to disclose specific details of the proposed security guarantees, saying they would be known in a day or two.
Ukrainian president arrived in Berlin on Sunday afternoon for talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other European leaders.
German newspaper Bild reported that Zelensky may also hold talks with representatives of U.S. President Donald Trump, but did not elaborate further.
According to Ukrinform, Zelensky said the same day that Ukraine must be prepared for any possible developments regarding elections.
"I asked our partners to assist with the security situation if elections are held, and I said that lawmakers should prepare options for how this could be implemented if the situation develops in that direction. They should work out, in the near future, options for holding elections," he said in a statement in response to journalists' questions.
He said he had received "signals" from the United States and President Trump regarding Ukraine's presidential election.
Ukraine says ready to accept NATO-style security guarantees
