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Russia calls for immediate stop to fighting in Ukraine - Churkin

Any attempt to settle the crisis by force will have harmful effects, Russian Permanent Representative to the U.N. Vitaly Churkin said

© EPA/ИТАР-ТАСС/ANDREW GOMBERT

UNITED NATIONS, August 08, /ITAR-TASS/. Russia calls for an immediate stop to the fighting in Ukraine and for effective resolution of humanitarian problems, Russian Permanent Representative to the U.N. Vitaly Churkin said on Friday.

Any attempt to settle the crisis by force will have harmful effects.

“We call on the conflicting parties to immediately stop the fighting and effectively resolve humanitarian problems,” he said.

Churkin also called for “an immediate commencement of constitutional reform [in Ukraine] within a format that will involve all Ukrainian regions and that would be transparent and accountable to society”.

He said the Ukrainian authorities had so far ignored their obligations under the Geneva statement of April 17.

“The constitutional reform, which envisions decentralisation of power, expansion of regions’ powers and special status for the Russian language has been postponed indefinitely,” Churkin said.

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