Ban Presses Ukraine Leader to Start Talks on Crisis

U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon on Monday pressed Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych to start a "constructive dialogue" with the opposition to end the country's deadly unrest.

U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said Ban highlighted his "grave concern" over the Ukraine crisis in a telephone conversation with Yanukovych.

The two spoke as radicals seized the justice ministry in Kiev heightening tensions that erupted when the president rejected a deal to get closer to the European Union.

Ban, who is at a Latin American summit in Havana, called at the weekend for "meaningful, sustained and inclusive dialogue by all parties in order to find a solution to the crisis and prevent further bloodshed."

"He encouraged the president to lead the way to a constructive dialogue process to help resolve the crisis in his country peacefully and through compromise," said Nesirky.

Yanukovych has started negotiations with the opposition but Justice Minister Olena Lukash, who is taking part in the meetings, said she would ask for the talks to be broken off if the building was not freed.