China and Brazil on Thursday voiced support for a US-led initiative to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine, urging Kyiv and Moscow to engage in negotiations to achieve that goal. Their endorsement came after a meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The two countries co-chaired the meeting with delegations from their initiative seeking peace in Ukraine and launched in December. Brazil’s UN ambassador, Sergio Danese, said after the meeting that recent developments around Ukraine suggested the war might be shifting “from the battlefield to the negotiating table”, calling it a “potential turning point” for advancing towards a ceasefire. “From the very beginning, we have consistently advocated for an early peaceful resolution and the need to observe principles for de-escalation,” said Fu Cong, China’s ambassador to the UN. “We firmly believe that only a negotiated political solution, including inclusive diplomacy, can bring this conflict to an end.” Delegates from Algeria, Bolivia, Colombia, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey and Zambia also took part in Thursday’s meeting. Their support came as Donald Trump’s White House ramps up pressure for a mediated exit from the armed conflict that has lasted more than three years. Last month, US Vice-President J.D. Vance reportedly discussed with European partners the idea of sending peacekeepers from Brazil and China to monitor a ceasefire. However, when asked about this, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing would continue to rely on “diplomatic mediation rather than military involvement”. That proposal was followed by a series of negotiations, including a meeting in Saudi Arabia during which American and Ukrainian officials met to explore a path towards ending the war. During the talks, the US emphasised a need for European allies to shoulder more of the burden in supporting Ukraine’s defence while seeking to position itself as a mediator between Moscow and Kyiv. The renewed push for negotiations followed a proposal presented last year by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Brazilian special adviser Celso Amorim. The plan called for an international peace conference and outlined steps including prisoner exchanges, humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians. Russia signalled openness to the proposal, but Ukraine and its Western allies dismissed it, arguing it would solidify Moscow’s territorial gains. During the UN General Assembly last year, China and Brazil met to gather support for their initiative. While the US and European Union declined to attend, more than 20 nations from the Global South took part. Wang at the time said the conference should ensure a “fair discussion” of all proposals without “Cold War mentality” politics. On Thursday, Danese and Fu underscored their commitment to the principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. The diplomats highlighted the disproportionate impact the war has had on Global South nations, particularly in terms of food and energy security. “We are committed to maintaining close engagement with all relevant parties and playing a constructive role in supporting efforts towards peace,” Danese said. While China and Brazil have positioned their initiative as a pragmatic solution to break the deadlock, critics have countered that it lacks the backing of key Western powers. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has openly criticised the proposal, saying it benefits Russia by freezing the battlefield in the Kremlin’s favour. Kyiv and its supporters singled out the absence of any guarantees for Ukraine’s territorial integrity as a major concern.