United Nations Secretary-General arrives in Kiev amid the heat

Ukrainian officials confirmed that the missile rocked the Shevchenko district in central Kiev. Witnesses said they heard two explosions but the cause has not been independently verified. Russia has not commented on the allegation.

Russia withdrew its forces near Kiev in early April, and since then many top US and European officials have visited the Ukrainian capital.

According to Reutersexplosions on April 28 were heard not long after Secretary General Guterres finished talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Rescuers at the site of an explosion on April 28 in Kiev, Ukraine. Photo Reuters

“There was an attack on Kiev. I am shocked, not because I am here, but because Kiev is a holy city for Ukrainians as well as Russians,” Secretary General Guterres told radio. RTP (Portugal) when asked about the explosions mentioned above.

The discussion between Mr. Guterres and Mr. Zelensky partly revolved around issues related to the evacuation of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians from a steel plant in the city of Mariupol.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed “in principle” to have the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross participate in the evacuation.

Ukrainian officials accuse Russia of wanting to arrest people trapped in the steel plant, which is being blockaded by Russian forces. Moscow has denied the allegation.

United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after a joint press conference in Kiev – Ukraine, April 28. Photo: Reuters

The West believes that the battles in Mariupol and other areas in Eastern and Southern Ukraine could determine the outcome of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.

In response to Ukraine’s continued requests for heavy weapons aid, US President Joe Biden on April 28 called on Congress to spend 33 billion USD to support Kiev, with more than 20 billion USD of this coming to military aid. the.

Meanwhile, Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg said on April 29 that the organization was ready to maintain support for Ukraine for many years, including helping Kiev transition from old weapons to more modern systems and weapons.

The statement was made by Stoltenberg shortly after the Kremlin warned that Western aid to Ukraine threatens European security and has the potential to cause “destabilization”.