August 15, 2026 04:03 am (IST)

Make this your homepage

Foreign

Ajit Doval breaks silence on Operation Sindoor in Discovery’s explosive new docuseries | Rahul Gandhi's 'mock hug' taunt sparks row; Centre stresses 'mutual respect' with Italy | Delhi on high alert: Bomb threat to High Court, airport and multiple locations ahead of I-Day | ‘Who are they to interfere?’: CJI Surya Kant slams Bar Council of India over NALSAR students’ enrolment row | 'Shows how low Congress has sunk': BJP slams Rahul Gandhi over Modi foreign policy jibe | From guns to glamour: Former women Maoists walk the ramp in Chhattisgarh | Netaji row: Suvendu Adhikari govt strips BJP MP Anant Maharaj of state honour | Sukhbir Badal attacked by Nihang Sikh with kirpan at Maharashtra gurdwara; assailant detained | ‘If you cannot do it, we will pass an order’: Supreme Court’s final warning to Centre on food labels | ‘Time to move on’: Bombay HC sends strong message in Vijay Mallya-bank dispute

N Photo/Paulo Filgueiras (file photo)

Geneva: Ban welcomes initial talks to defuse Ukraine crisis

India Blooms News Service | | Apr 18, 2014, at 05:14 pm

New York, Apr 18 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday said he was encouraged by the initial round of diplomatic negotiations on the crisis in Ukraine held in Geneva, but stressed that all sides need to follow up words with deeds as the situation remains 'extremely volatile.'

According to press reports, Ukraine and Russia, backed by representatives of United States and the European Union, agreed on Thursday to a series of steps to de-escalate tensions in eastern Ukraine that reportedly include demobilizing militias and vacating seized Government buildings.

In a statement from his spokesperson, Ban said he was “encouraged” that all parties were able to agree on a number of concrete and urgent steps aimed at de-escalating the situation and finding a peaceful resolution to this crisis.

“He expects all sides, moving forward, to show their serious intention to continue to engage, in a good-faith effort, and to implement the steps laid out in the Geneva Statement, which will contribute to a lasting solution to this crisis,” according to the statement.

Ban “has consistently underscored that constructive and results-oriented dialogue between all concerned will be the only way to achieve a peaceful solution,” his spokesperson said.

Briefing the Security Council on Wednesday, a senior United Nations human rights official urged steps to counter misinformation and bring to an end all incitement to hatred, discrimination and violence.

Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Šimonovic, who briefed on his two missions to the crisis-torn country in March, emphasized the strong links between chronic human rights violations in Ukraine, the Maidan protests and the tensions in the eastern part of the country.

This past weekend, tensions flared in eastern Ukraine as Lugansk, Kharkiv and Donetsk and at least 5 other cities in the region were targeted by uprisings and the seizure of Government buildings.

[Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras (file photo)]

#Geneva # Ban Ki-moon # Ukraine crisis # diplomatic negotiations

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.

India
International

Related Images

German president says ‘no reason’ to align with Trump on Iran war Mar 24, 2026, at 11:22 pm

In Images: Canadian PM Carney concludes his China visit Jan 17, 2026, at 01:30 am

In images: King Charles III hosts President Trump and First Lady Melania at State Banquet in Windsor Sep 19, 2025, at 12:49 am