"Following the decision announced by the President of the Russian Federation last night on Ukraine, I am deeply concerned that any significant escalation in military action creates a heightened risk of serious human rights violations as well as violations of international humanitarian law. At this critical juncture, the priority, above all, must be to prevent a further escalation, to prevent civilian casualties, displacement and destruction of civilian infrastructure. I call on all sides to cease hostilities and to pave the way for dialogue instead of setting the stage for further violence. We continue to monitor the situation closely from our offices on both sides of the contact line in the east of the country." ENDS