UNITED NATIONS
Commenting on Sunday's "illegal" break-away referendum in two eastern Ukrainian provinces. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday called for an end to actions undermining Ukraine's unity and territorial integrity.
Pro-Russian separatists declared "victory" as 89 percent of voters in Donetsk and 97.5 percent of voters in Slavyansk said "yes" to a federation in eastern Ukraine, according to Denis Pushilin, leader of the self-proclaimed "People's Republic of Donetsk."
The UN chief called on all sides to find a way back to the "spirit of compromise" displayed at Geneva talks on April 17 where an agreement was signed between Russia, Ukraine, U.S. and the EU aimed at defusing the tension in Ukraine, requiring demonstrators to vacate the public buildings they had occupied and the disarmament of militias and paramilitary units in the country.
He maintained that Kiev government should preserve its moderate stance against actions crippling stability and respond in line with the Ukrainian constitution and international human rights principles.
"There is still time to halt the descent of Ukraine into full-blown conflict," Ban added.
Meanwhile, the European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton reaffirmed on Monday that the European bloc would not recognize any of the "illegitimate" referendums in eastern Ukraine.
EU foreign ministers meeting on Monday agreed to broaden the sanctions against senior Russian officials to target two Moscow-aligned energy companies and add 13 more individuals to the existing 48-people on the list of sanctions.
Both the EU and U.S. have already imposed two rounds of sanctions on Russia for its annexation of the Crimea, and for, what they say is, Russia’s role in fomenting unrest in the east of the country.
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