UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday welcomed the new cease-fire attempt for eastern Ukraine, but urged parties to earnestly match their words with their deeds.
In a statement released through his spokesman, Guterres commended the new attempt to bring peace to eastern Ukraine on the occasion of the start of the new school year. But he stressed the need to ensure the sustainability of the cease-fire and called on all parties to fully abide by its terms, especially to protect civilians.
The secretary-general also reiterated UN support for international efforts to seek a negotiated solution to the conflict that pits the Ukrainian government against pro-Russia separatists in the region. Guterres urged all concerned to work toward that end, said the statement.
A new cease-fire agreement officially entered into force on Friday. But there were immediate reports of breaches. Leaders of Germany and France, the two major international mediators on the issue, have warned that the situation on the ground has not significantly improved despite the new agreement.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday urged Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko "to stick to their commitments completely, to support the cease-fire publicly and clearly and to ensure that the necessary instructions are relayed to the military and forces on the ground."
Fighting in eastern Ukraine has killed more than 10,000 people since early 2014.
