UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tried to influence Putin in Moscow. Through Poland, Guterres goes to Kiev to talk to Ukraine as well.
According to the United Nations, Russia sees as possible a role for the UN in evacuation actions in eastern Ukraine. Following the meeting of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres with the head of the Kremlin in Moscow, Vladimir Putin on Tuesday evening (April 26), it was announced by the United Nations that “the president agreed in principle on a participation of the Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on the evacuation of civilians from the Azov steel plant in Mariupol. humanitarian in Ukraine.
Guterres again called for co-operation between Moscow and Kiev with the United Nations to establish humanitarian corridors for civilians in Ukraine and to ensure the supply of humanitarian aid to the country. The meeting with Putin lasted about an hour. Guterres had previously met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
After meeting with Guterres, Putin stated, “Although the military mission (in Ukraine) continues, we still hope that we will be able to reach an agreement through diplomatic channels.” Russia does not reject the talks. These have stalled after the discovery in the area around Kiev of many bodies of civilians after the withdrawal of Russian troops. The Russian military “has nothing to do with this,” Putin reiterated.
The UN Secretary General is also in Ukraine through Poland, where he will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday. The Ukrainian president criticized the fact that Guterres traveled first to Moscow and then to Kiev. Zelensky said he looks to this “queue of visits neither fairness nor logic.”
The US wants to strengthen Ukraine
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused the head of the Kremlin, that he is not really interested in a diplomatic solution. “We have not seen any signs so far that Putin is serious about important negotiations.” Blinken told the US Congress that the US now wants to support Ukraine militarily and diplomatically. “Our goal is to ensure that Russian aggression is repelled and that its future position at the negotiating table is strengthened.”/DW