UN Secretary-General supports February 15 cease-fire in Ukraine and the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity

In a statement issued on February 12, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that he “joins the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany in reiterating full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”

It was noted in his remarks issued at UN Headquarters in New York that “the Secretary-General has closely followed the intensive diplomatic efforts of these leaders in Minsk, Belarus over the past two days.

He commended their perseverance in efforts to bring this violent conflict to an end, which has resulted in the signing of a package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk accords of September 2014.”

In that regard, the Secretary-General expects that the parties will respect the commitments, which have been made in Minsk.

He urges the parties concerned to ensure that a genuine and lasting cease-fire will commence on February 15 as agreed, paving the way for a broader political settlement of the conflict, based on the Minsk accords Ban Ki-moon concluded his remarks by saying that “the United Nations stands ready to assist in any way deemed helpful. It will continue to monitor the human rights situation and deliver humanitarian support to those in need. “