No military solution to Ukraine crisis, says UN secretary-general

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned Western powers Tuesday that “there is no military solution” to the Ukraine crisis, as NATO prepares to upgrade its combat readiness in Eastern Europe. Ban said he is greatly concerned at developments in Ukraine and wants to avoid further deterioration in a crisis “that has been developing into a very chaotic and dangerous situation”. His remarks come as NATO prepares for a summit in Wales this week where it is set to bolster its capability in Eastern European member states spooked by Russia’s actions in Ukraine. The summit will boost NATO’s rapid response force, creating a spearhead of several thousand troops that can deploy within days to regional hot spots.

It has regional and even global implications. That is why I have been reaching out to Ukrainian and Russian authorities to … resolve it peacefully through dialogue.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Ban acknowledged Western concerns about gains in eastern Ukraine by pro-Russian insurgents, who Kiev says are backed by Russian forces but Moscow insists are separatist rebels. A UN report last week estimated nearly 2,600 people had been killed since the conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine in mid-April, with about 430,000 people fleeing their homes. The United States and the European Union have imposed a series of sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis, the worst standoff between Moscow and the West since the Cold War.

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