Vladimir Putin and Antonio Guterres meet in Kremlin to discuss Ukraine
April 27, 2022, 6:11 am

Vladimir Putin and Antonio Guterres meet in Kremlin to discuss Ukraine

President Vladimir Putin-Russian President

The We For News reported, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with visiting United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the Kremlin to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

Xinhua news agency reported that Putin told Guterres on Tuesday (Apr 26) that the Ukrainian issue arose after the 2014 “unconstitutional coup” in Kiev and people in Donbas remained under blockade and military pressure even after the Minsk agreements on a peaceful settlement were reached.

According to the Russian President, the Donbas “republics” have the right to declare their sovereignty and Russia has the right to recognise their independence and provide them with military assistance in full accordance with the UN Charter.

He said: “Despite the ongoing military operation, we still hope that we will be able to reach agreements on the diplomatic track. We are negotiating and we do not refuse them.”

Before his trip to Moscow, the UN chief met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday (Apr 25) in the capital Ankara. Guterres will travel to Ukraine following talks with Putin

The UN chief proposed creating a contact group where the UN, Russia and Ukraine can discuss the situation together so that the humanitarian corridors are truly effective.

He said that to resolve the situation in Ukraine’s Mariupol, the UN is ready to fully mobilise its logistical capabilities and human resources, working together with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as well as the Russian and Ukrainian armed forces.

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Guterres also added that the UN is ready in two or three days, together with the ICRC, to assess the situation at the Azovstal plant in order to evacuate civilians from there.

In response, Putin denied reports that Russian humanitarian corridors are not working and stressed that 130,000 to 140,000 people have left Mariupol with the assistance of Russia and they are free to go anywhere.

The Russian President also offered an opportunity to UN and ICRC representatives to have a look at how Russia treats Ukrainian war prisoners.

Antonio Guterres to visit Russia and Ukraine next week

It should be noted that before his trip to Moscow, the UN chief met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday in the capital Ankara. Guterres will travel to Ukraine following talks with Putin.

Source: wefornews

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.