Will be 'catastrophic' if Russia-Ukraine crisis escalates into war, says UN Secretary General
India Today
Speaking on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday urged all parties to be "extremely careful with their rhetoric".
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday warned that it would be "catastrophic" if the Russia-Ukraine conflict escalated into a war, while underlining that there was "no alternative to diplomacy."
On Friday, Russia announced nuclear drills, even as leaders of nations from the West looked for ways to ease the tensions.
According to US estimates, Russia has amassed between 169,000 and 190,000 personnel in and near Ukraine, up from about 100,000 on January 30.
"With a concentration of Russian troops around Ukraine, I am deeply concerned about heightened tensions and increased speculation about a military conflict in Europe. I still think it will not happen. But if it did, it would be catastrophic," Guterres said in his remarks to the opening segment of the Munich Security Conference Friday, an event that was conspicuous by the absence of leaders from Moscow.
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The UN chief underlined that there is "no alternative to diplomacy" and all issues, "including the most intractable," must be addressed through diplomatic frameworks.
"It's high time to seriously de-escalate," he said.
