UN can take active part in de-escalation, Kuleba believes

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and UN Secretary-General António Guterres discussed ways to de-escalate tensions created by Russia.

“Important call with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on ways to de-escalate the security crisis created by Russia. Diplomacy is the only responsible way. Confident that UN can and should take active part in diplomatic efforts by Ukraine and partners to reduce tensions,” Kuleba posted on Twitter on February 14.

As the MFA informs, the UN Secretary-General reaffirmed that any military intervention by the Russian Federation is unacceptable and will be regarded as a violation of the UN Charter and international law.

Guterres also stressed that the United Nations sees diplomacy as the only way to resolve the situation. He is convinced that it is important to avoid not only the invasion but also the escalation of the situation in Ukraine and around it.

In turn, Kuleba noted that the Ukrainian side highly appreciates the activities of the UN missions in Ukraine, including humanitarian efforts and the work of UNDP. He asked Guterres to use the UN Secretary-General's good offices mechanism to de-escalate the situation.

The minister also drew the attention of the UN Secretary-General to Russia's attempts to manipulate the content of the Minsk agreements and promote a distorted vision of their essence. He stressed that these agreements cannot be implemented on Russian terms, which include the so-called "direct dialogue" between Ukraine and certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

According to Kuleba, Russia is a party to the conflict, so Ukraine is ready to negotiate a political and diplomatic settlement with the participation of the Russian side in the Normandy format. In addition, Ukraine is ready to work in other formats and makes efforts to intensify all negotiating platforms.

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