2nd LD Writethru: UN chief calls for sustainable ceasefire in eastern Ukraine

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday said that he "remains gravely concerned over the situation in eastern Ukraine," and reiterated his call for "a sustainable ceasefire to take hold and for urgent diplomatic and political action."

"The secretary-general remains gravely concerned over the situation in eastern Ukraine, particularly the plight of civilians trapped without basic services in the city of Debaltseve," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman.

"The rebel offensive continues and civilians are dying on a daily basis," the statement said. "He condemns in the strongest terms reports of indiscriminate shelling and calls on both sides to immediately move their military positions away from densely populated civilian areas."

In eastern Ukraine, battles are raging between government forces and rebels for control of a strategic transport hub.

Intense artillery fire thundered around the town of Debaltseve on Sunday, which is a key position between the rebel bastions of Donetsk and Luhansk, where rebels are trying to encircle Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian military spokesman Volodymyr Polyovyi in Kiev said "constant battles" were going on around Debaltseve, but pledged that government forces would not give up control of the last remaining road into the town.

"The secretary-general stands with others in the international community in support of the proposal by the Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) for a temporary truce that would allow for the immediate evacuation of civilians from Debaltseve," said the statement. "He notes that this proposal can only gain ground through good-faith negotiation."

"The secretary-general reiterates his call for a sustainable ceasefire to take hold and for urgent diplomatic and political action," the statement said.

"The signatories of the Minsk accords and the entire international community need to assume their responsibilities to ensure that this conflict ends."

"The United Nations stands ready to continue to support the consolidation of a sustainable and lasting peace process," the statement added.

Ukraine's military said Sunday 13 soldiers had died and 20 were wounded over the past 24 hours. At least 17 civilians also died in fighting across the war-torn east. The surge in fighting comes as the U.S. and NATO's military commander appear to be moving toward supplying arms to Ukrainian forces.

Washington was reportedly reviewing whether to provide "lethal assistance", in addition to non-lethal aid such as body armor and medical equipment which it already supplies to Kiev. Enditem