Secretary-General, Alarmed by Severe Escalation of Fighting in Ukraine, Implores All Sides to Honour Minsk Agreements, Starting with Cessation of Hostilities

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General is alarmed by the severe escalation of fighting for control of Donetsk airport in eastern Ukraine, which has already caused numerous casualties and threatened to completely unravel a hard-won September 2014 ceasefire.  He implores all sides to make good on their commitments under the Minsk Protocol and Memorandum, with the first step being an immediate and full cessation of hostilities.

The Secretary-General stresses that further deterioration of a situation that has led to heavy loss of life and civilian suffering must be avoided at all costs.  The United Nations stands ready to support all efforts towards de-escalation and the resumption of a genuine peace process to restore Ukraine’s stability and territorial integrity.