UN chief says possible establishment of UN peace support office in Ukraine

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Monday told Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko over the phone that he will consult with the Security Council members on possible establishment of a UN peace support office in Ukraine.

In the telephone conversation, the two discussed the importance of implementing fully the February 2015 Minsk package and also how the UN could support the implementation of the agreement, according to a readout of the conversation.

"In this connection, the Secretary-General informed President Poroshenko that he will be proceeding with consultations with members of the Security Council and others on the possible establishment of a United Nations peace support office in Ukraine, " said the readout.

Ban also briefed Poroshenko on his discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Saturday over detailing the way forward on Ukraine.

The UN chief agreed that full and good-faith implementation by all sides of the "Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements" presented the best opportunity to bring forth a peaceful resolution to the conflict, said UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq in a daily briefing.

The conflict in eastern Ukraine has claimed more than 6,100 lives so far. Putin said Sunday during a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel that the Ukraine crisis should only be solved through political dialogue. Endite