U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres signals little hope for peace in Ukraine before meeting Putin in Moscow

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United Nations — Soon after failing to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt his war in Ukraine by sending an emissary, U.N. Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres was in Moscow on Tuesday to fulfill Putin in individual. The U.N. chief arrived in Moscow right after viewing Ankara, Turkey, exactly where the federal government has been main the thrust for a ceasefire. 

In his very first formal assembly in Moscow on Tuesday, Guterres sat throughout from Russia’s Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov and mentioned he remained “extremely intrigued in obtaining techniques in purchase to develop the circumstances for helpful dialogue, create the problems for a ceasefire as quickly as feasible.”

But following his “pretty frank discussion” with Lavrov, Guterres told reporters it was “apparent that there are two unique positions on what is taking place in Ukraine,” suggesting the Russian diplomat had given him tiny to gas hope of any imminent move again from hostilities. 

Guterres also sat down for a conference with Putin. Afterwards this week Guterres is scheduled to journey to Kyiv to fulfill Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who blasted the U.N. chief’s selection to go to Moscow very first as Russia’s bombardment of Ukrainian towns continues.  

putin-guterres.jpg
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, meets with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Moscow on April 26, 2022.

Russian Pool by using Reuters


The U.N. main acknowledged the global body’s lack of ability to effect any adjust at all on the ground in Ukraine, and mentioned he was “concerned about the repeated stories of violations of worldwide humanitarian and human legal rights legislation and doable war crimes,” reiterating his contact for an “unbiased investigation for effective accountability.” 
 
Guterres pressured the have to have for instant humanitarian corridors to get civilians out of besieged cities like the port of Mariupol, and get food items, medication and other fundamental products in.
 
“To that finish, I have proposed the institution of a Humanitarian Get in touch with Team, bringing jointly the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the United Nations, to glance for alternatives for the opening of safe and sound corridors, with regional cessations of hostilities, and to guarantee that they are actually efficient,” he instructed reporters just after the meeting with Lavrov, contacting the dire instances in Mariupol “a crisis in a disaster.”

Lavrov mentioned Russia was “completely ready to cooperate with our colleagues from the U.N. to alleviate the plight of the civilian population” in Ukraine.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visits Moscow
Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.N. Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres converse to journalists throughout a news meeting in Moscow, Russia, April 26, 2022.

Maxim Shipenkov/Pool/Reuters


Over the weekend, Zelenskyy claimed it was “basically wrong” for Guterres to go to Russia ahead of Ukraine, telling reporters “there is no justice and no logic in this buy.” 

“The war is in Ukraine, there are no bodies in the streets of Moscow. It would be reasonable to go very first to Ukraine, to see the persons there, the penalties of the profession,” he mentioned.

The deputy head of Zelenskyy’s workplace, Igor Zhovkva, claimed Sunday on “Meet the Press” that the Secretary-Common was “not truly” approved to speak on behalf of the Ukrainian authorities.

The deserves of Guterres’ itinerary will very likely be judged on Putin’s response to the Secretary-General’s request for an fast ceasefire in Ukraine.

“The Secretary-Standard stated that at this time of good peril and consequence, he would like to examine urgent actions to provide about peace in Ukraine,” Dujarric told reporters in New York ahead of the trip.

Guterres travels on Tuesday night to Rzeszow, Poland, and on Thursday he fulfills with Zelenskyy and International Minister Kuleba in Kyiv.

The U.N. chief will be in Kyiv just days just after the take a look at by U.S. Secretary of Point out Antony Blinken and Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin, who came promising hundreds of hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional army help. 


Zelenskyy pushes for extra arms in advance of go to from leading U.S. officers

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Blinken said Monday that he experienced spoken with Guterres and that he understood the U.N. main would provide a “quite powerful information” to Putin on the want to conclude the war and to put into action an rapid ceasefire and open corridors to enable help in and civilians out of besieged cities.

Ahead of Guterres’ take a look at to Ankara, Ukraine’s president reported he “experienced an significant cellphone discussion with Erdogan in which he stressed the require for immediate evacuation of civilians from Mariupol.”

Turkish media reported Sunday that Erdogan had reiterated his country’s assistance for negotiations to conclude the war and said Turkey would welcome a “guarantor” position in any peace settlement.



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