UN Sec.-Gen. believes there will be no war in Ukraine

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres continues to believe that there will be no war in Ukraine and he is encouraged by ongoing diplomatic efforts, his official representative Stephane Dujarric said, Report informs.

“The Secretary‑General continues to hope and think that this… continues to think that this conflict will not happen. His message is one of increased diplomacy, of lowering tensions, of de-escalation, and that's the message he will continue to deliver,” Dujarric said at a briefing.

“We've not heard anybody closing the door to talking. And that is important. And that one is our… that is what we are holding on to,” he noted.

“Look, I mean, we have seen on one hand an escalation of rhetoric, of tensions. We would like to see the opposite. But we are also seeing a continuing and very active diplomacy at various levels. And that is for us the critical factor,” he added.