New York [US]: UN chief Antonio Guterres said that Russia's decision to recognize Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine as independent is a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and inconsistent with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin formally recognized separatist regions in Ukraine's east as independent states. In a statement issued by Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, the UN chief calls for "the peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, in accordance with the Minsk Agreements, as endorsed by the Security Council in resolution 2202 (2015)".
