May 04, 2026 04:12 pm (IST)
Ukraine: Ban urges diplomatic solution to crisis
New York, Apr 26 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday called on all parties to seek a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis, warning that the situation could "spin out of control quickly," while the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced that is opening a preliminary probe into alleged crimes of humanity committed in the country.
“It would be a grave mistake, in the Secretary-General’s view, for any party to turn to military means in an attempt to resolve political issues that can and must be addressed by peaceful means,” UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York.
“The Secretary-General is deeply troubled by the escalation in rhetoric and hardening of positions. The stakes are extremely high, with potentially negative implications for international peace and security that extend far beyond eastern Ukrainian cities,” Dujarric added.
Despite an agreement reached last week in Geneva during a meeting between the United States, the European Union, Ukraine, and Russia on a series of steps to de-escalate tensions in eastern Ukraine, the crisis shows no sign of abating.
“The Secretary-General cautions all Ukrainians and their partners that the situation could spin out of control quickly, with grave and unpredictable consequences,” said Dujarric.
“He expects all sides to understand that time is of the essence and that they therefore must cease any unhelpful actions and, instead, re-engage diplomatically to ensure full implementation now.”
Meanwhile, the Government of Ukraine, which is not a party to the ICC, has accepted the Court’s jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed on its territory from 21 November 2013 to 22 February 2014.
As a result, the Office of the ICC Prosecutor, as a matter of policy, has decided to open a preliminary examination of the situation in Ukraine to establish whether a full investigation is warranted.
Located in The Hague, in the Netherlands, the ICC is an independent, permanent court that tries persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern – namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
(Map of Ukraine. Source: UN Cartographic Section)
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.
Latest Headlines
What happened in Morocco? Two US troops go missing amid military exercises, rescue op underway
Mon, May 04 2026
Madness in Seoul: Pokémon event cancelled in South Korea after 40,000 people assemble in forest
Sun, May 03 2026
Israel sent secret laser shield to UAE during Iran attacks: Report
Fri, May 01 2026
Abuse of women journalists made ‘easier and more damaging’ by AI: Study unveils on World Press Freedom Day
Fri, May 01 2026
Indian-born population tops Australia’s foreign-born list, overtaking England after a century
Fri, May 01 2026
UAE leaves OPEC, OPEC+ amid global energy crisis
Tue, Apr 28 2026
'One equals four': Iran issues ‘quadruple strike’ warning to Gulf nations after Trump's threats
Mon, Apr 27 2026
