Content of “hot” talks between UN Secretary-General and President Putin

According to The Guardianin his first dialogue in Moscow, which took place on April 26 with Minister Sergei Lavrov, António Guterres affirmed that the United Nations was ready to mobilize resources to evacuate civilians from Mariupol and added that he came as a messenger of peace.

General secretary United Nations António Guterres and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Lavrov – Photo: REUTERS

This is Guterres’ first visit to Moscow since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out. Previously, he was criticized for not performing his full role and undermining the power of the United Nations (UN). The UN Secretary-General added: “There is an obvious fact, no argument can be changed. We do not have Ukrainian troops on the territory of the Russian Federation, but we do have Russian troops in Ukraine.” Minister Lavrov said that was true.

According to NBC News, Guterres stressed the need for immediate humanitarian corridors to get civilians out of besieged cities like the port of Mariupol, providing food, medicine and other basic goods. After the talks, he told reporters that there are “obviously two different positions on what is happening in Ukraine” suggesting little hope of any setback to the conflict.

The United Nations Secretary-General held talks with President Putin shortly after, expressing concern over reports of war crimes and demanding an independent investigation, but not by the United Nations.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) – Photo: REUTERS

According to the radio RT, During the talks, the two leaders debated the reason for the conflict’s starting point. President Putin compared Donetsk and Lugansk, which Russia considers “two breakaway republics” to Kosovo (disputed territory in Serbia).

But Mr. Guterres said the United Nations had never recognized Kosovo as an independent entity. The Kremlin boss disagreed and cited the decisions of the International Court of Justice, as well as saying that Kosovo was widely recognized by the West.

In addition to discussing international law and the legal basis for Russia’s military activities, another hot topic that the two leaders discussed was the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

The head of the United Nations said that the organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were ready to assist in the evacuation of civilians trapped with Ukrainian fighters at the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, along with humanitarian corridors that Russia has claimed but has never used.

President Putin said that civilians were trapped by Ukrainian soldiers and that more than 100,000 people had left Mariupol from these humanitarian corridors. “And they can go anywhere, some want to go to Russia, some to Ukraine. Anywhere – we don’t keep them, we provide any form of help and support” – RT quoted President Putin.

The United Nations Secretary-General is expected to visit Kiev and hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on April 28, also with the main goal of reconciliation and finding a way to provide humanitarian assistance and evacuate stranded civilians. in war zones.