UN chief seeks talks with Putin, Zelensky on peace
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WASHINGTON • United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has separately asked Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to receive him to discuss steps to bring about peace following Moscow's invasion of its neighbour.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said separate letters were handed to the permanent missions of Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday afternoon asking Mr Putin to receive Mr Guterres in Moscow and Mr Zelensky to receive him in Kyiv.
"The Secretary-General said, at this time of great peril and consequence, he would like to discuss urgent steps to bring about peace in Ukraine and the future of multilateralism based on the Charter of the United Nations and international law," Mr Dujarric said in a statement.
Mr Guterres on Tuesday called for a four-day Orthodox Easter humanitarian pause in fighting in Ukraine to allow for the safe passage of civilians to leave areas of conflict and the delivery of humanitarian aid to hard-hit areas.
Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, the biggest attack on a European state since 1945, has killed or wounded thousands. More than 12 million people need humanitarian assistance in the country today, Mr Guterres has said.
European Council president Charles Michel met Mr Zelensky during a surprise visit to Kyiv on Wednesday, following visits by other Western leaders, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he does not know if he will travel to Kyiv after Ukraine's wartime leader called on him to visit.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson has said that any peace talks over Ukraine are likely to fail, as he compared holding talks with Mr Putin to negotiating with a crocodile.
Mr Johnson said yesterday that dealing with Mr Putin was like "a crocodile when it's got your leg in its jaws" and added that it was vital that the West continues arming Ukraine.
The British Prime Minister was speaking as he headed to India, where he will encourage his counterpart Narendra Modi to end its neutrality over the war in Ukraine.
REUTERS
