Russia-Ukraine War: With the Russia-Ukraine war entering its second month, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is preparing to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky next week.
His direct call to cease the war comes as Moscow prepares to expand its war aspirations in southern Ukraine as well, only days after moving its emphasis away from the capital city of Kyiv. On Tuesday, the UN Secretary-General will travel to Moscow to meet with Putin.
“He wishes to discuss what can be done promptly to bring peace to Ukraine,” UN assistant spokesperson Eri Kaneko said. Guterres will then meet with Zelensky and Ukraine’s foreign minister on Thursday, the UN said in a statement.
Guterres intends to explore “immediate actions that may be implemented” to bring an end to the war and assist civilians in reaching safety during both visits.
Ursula Von Der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland, both visited Ukraine earlier this month to express their support for the war-torn country.
Meanwhile, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer met with Putin earlier this month to plead for a ‘cessation of hostilities.’ This was said to be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first face-to-face encounter with an EU leader since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine.
Saturday marked the 59th day of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, a day after Russian and Ukrainian diplomats held another round of talks. According to Reuters, Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said diplomatic attempts to end the war were stuck.
Russia declared on Friday that it will fight until it takes control of all of Ukraine’s ‘east and south.’ According to the country’s defence ministry, its soldiers seized a sizable armaments storage in the Kharkiv area.
According to Ukraine’s general staff, Russian forces have upped their attacks throughout the whole eastern frontier and are attempting to launch an offensive in the Kharkiv area, north of the Donbas. Since the invasion began on February 24, about five million Ukrainians have left the nation, cities have been destroyed, and many have perished.
Russia describes the operation as a special military operation aimed at demilitarizing Ukraine and eradicating what it refers to as “dangerous nationalists.” The West and Kyiv accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of acting alone.
Edited By : Khushi Thakur
Published By : Shubham Ghulaxe
