UN backs Russia-Ukraine dialogue

On April 26, Guterres had a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov in Moscow. This is the first contact between the head of state of Russia and the Secretary-General of the United Nations since Russia began military campaign in Ukraine.

During talks with Russian President Putin, the United Nations Secretary-General expressed concern about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. Mr. Guterres proposed the establishment of a joint group of representatives of the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine to ensure the operation of humanitarian corridors. Accordingly, the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are ready to work with the Russian and Ukrainian militaries to evacuate civilians from Mariupol.

UN Secretary-General Guterres shakes hands with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, April 26. (Photo: AP)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: “We support dialogue between the two countries and support the goodwill of Turkey in promoting this approach. Our main task for the humanitarian situation in Ukraine is to resolve and improve the current situation“.

According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the situation in Mariupol is currently difficult, but fighting in the city has been prevented. About 140,000 people have been evacuated through Russia’s humanitarian corridors. The Russian leader affirmed that Moscow did not refuse to hold negotiations with Kiev.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated:Despite the ongoing military operation, we still expect to be able to reach an agreement through diplomacy. The two sides achieved a significant breakthrough at the talks in Turkey. But Kiev’s position on the settlement of the Ukraine situation has since changed“.

A view of the meeting between the UN Secretary-General and a senior Russian official in Moscow, April 26. (Photo: AP)

Earlier, during a meeting with Mr. Guterres, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov emphasized that Russia supports a negotiated solution to the Ukraine crisis. However, the negotiations are unlikely to succeed if Kiev continues to maintain its current position and is still armed.

Russia and Ukraine have been holding bilateral talks for almost two months but have yet to reach an agreement that could become the “key” to resolving the conflict. It is not known how long the delay on the negotiating table will last, but the visit to Russia and Ukraine by the United Nations Secretary-General at this time is expected to be a constructive factor for the negotiation process between the two sides.

* Invite readers to watch the programs broadcast by Vietnam Television on TV Online and VTVGo!