UNITED NATIONS -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said a military victory in Syria “is an illusion” as he appealed Tuesday to major powers to stop sending weapons to all sides in the Middle East country’s civil war.
"I appeal to all states to stop fuelling the bloodshed and to end the arms flows to all parties," Ban told world leaders as he opened the annual General Assembly summit.
The UN chief also called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the opposition -- and "all those I this hall with influence over them" -- to work immediately to arrange a second Geneva conference aimed at reaching a political solution.
"Military victory is an illusion. The only answer is a political settlement," he said.
Ban's appeal comes as the United States and Russia haggle over the language in a Security Council resolution meant to seal an agreement for Assad to give up chemical weapons.
US Secretary of State John Kerry was to meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov later in the day. Russia is the main supporter of Assad, while the rebels receive support from Western nations and Sunni Arab monarchies.
A top Russian diplomat said that the resolution would include the article of the UN Charter that allows the use of force or sanctions.
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