Any peace deal on Ukraine must respect its territorial integrity – UN Assistant Secretary-General

UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča stated this at a meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

He stressed that diplomatic efforts must focus on securing a just and lasting peace.

“The United Nations encourages dialogue among all stakeholders and welcomes all genuine efforts and initiatives, with the full participation of Ukraine and the Russian Federation, that would alleviate the impact of the war on civilians and de-escalate the conflict,” he said.

He also reiterated Secretary-General António Guterres’ position that “any peaceful settlement must respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, in line with the UN Charter, international law and resolutions of the General Assembly.”

Jenča added that ensuring that “the conflict does not reoccur and does not escalate will require genuine political will and understanding of its multi-dimensional complexity, for Ukraine and for the region.”

As Ukrinform reported, on Monday, Russia convened a meeting of the UN Security Council to accuse Ukraine of failing to implement the Minsk agreements, which allegedly led to the war.