U.N. Chief Calls for Deployment of U.N., OSCE Rights Monitors to Ukraine

Ban Ki-moon on Thursday called for U.N. and OSCE rights monitors to deploy in Ukraine and urged an "honest and constructive dialogue" between Moscow and Kiev after talks with Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

The U.N. chief said they discussed "legitimate concerns that Russia and President Putin has, particularly in terms of human rights protection and of those Russian-speaking people and Russian minorities."

"The best way would be to deploy U.N. and OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) human rights monitors," he said.

"The best way to address concerns for the respect of human rights is for all the authorities to support and welcome the U.N. human rights monitors in order for us to give an objective assessment," he added.

Ban said monitors were starting to deploy in Russian-speaking areas of eastern and southeastern Ukraine.

Putin has faced international condemnation over his role in the Ukraine crisis.

On Tuesday, he signed a hugely controversial treaty with Crimean leaders making Ukraine's Russian-speaking peninsula part of Russia despite sanctions introduced by the West.

"The most important way is for Russia and Ukraine to sit down together and engage in direct and constructive dialogue," said Ban.

"We must employ every possible diplomatic tool at our disposal to solve this crisis which has great political and economic ramifications."

Meanwhile, European Parliament head Martin Schulz said Ukraine's crisis has brought back the fear and risk of war in Europe.

With the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I this year, who could have imagined "that war could become a genuine possibility in a country which shares a border with the European Union?," Schulz told the opening of the summit of the 28 EU leaders.

Asked about his remarks at a press conference, Schulz said European Union leaders did feel the weight of history on them and felt that "something has changed".

"Some people thought that war and the risk of war was no longer a topic for discussion ... but if we look at events, we are talking about the risk of armed conflict," he said.

At the same time, the situation was not like 1914 when Europe 'sleep-walked' into war because now countries were in "constant dialogue with each other," he said.

The EU must send a message to show that Russia will pay a price for its actions and leaders must explain to their people the possible costs involved for them, he added.

Schulz was speaking as EU leaders considered further sanctions against Moscow just after U.S. President Barack Obama hit high-profile Russian political and business figures with fresh measures.

Russia responded in kind only minutes later, imposing sanctions on several close Obama aides and prominent U.S. senators, including Senator John McCain who is noted for his hard line on Moscow.