The conflict escalated last spring, when Kiev launched a military operation against independence supporters in Ukraine`s south-eastern regions, who refused to recognize the new government, which came to power as a result of a coup in February, 2014. The United States and its allies have accused Russia of meddling in Ukraine`s internal affairs, which has led to a worsening of US-Russia relations and the introduction of several rounds of economic sanctions against Russia by the West.
The UN Secretary General stressed that the world also faces "a long list" of other conflict "hot-spots".
"The South Sudan crisis has entered its second year. Horrendous violence continues in parts of the Central African Republic, northern Mali and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Chaos in Libya is spreading, and violence in Yemen is growing," Ban Ki-moon stressed, adding that "the conflict in Syria continues to inflict immense suffering and will soon enter its fifth year".
According to Ban Ki-moon, the situation in Gaza and the West Bank remains tense and Israelis and Palestinians need to "move away from confrontation and towards a negotiated settlement" in order to prevent further worsening of the conflict.
The UN Secretary General concluded by stressing that the world should not forget about terrorism, which remains a global threat, as proven by the terrorist attack on the French Charlie Hebdo magazine.
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