UN Secretary-General António Guterres will meet separately with the presidents of Russia and Ukraine next week to make urgent, face-to-face calls for peace.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, confirmed that Guterres will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday, and that Putin will also welcome the UN Secretary-General. Guterres will visit Ukraine on Thursday, according to the UN, to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Guterres plans to discuss "measures that can be taken right now" to stop the fighting and help people get to safety during both visits, according to UN spokesperson Eri Kaneko.
"He intends to discuss what can be done promptly to bring peace to Ukraine," she said. Guterres requested a meeting with the presidents in their respective capitals on Tuesday.
Since the onslaught began two months ago, Guterres has pushed Russia to halt it, calling it "the worst moment" in his five years as UN Secretary-General. He requested a four-day "humanitarian respite" in fighting ahead of the Orthodox Easter holiday on Sunday.
"Put an end to the bloodshed and devastation." He pleaded, "Open a gateway for conversation and peace." Earlier this month, Guterres dispatched the UN's top humanitarian officer to Moscow and Kyiv to investigate the possibility of a cease-fire.
However, the secretary-general had been questioned about whether he should go to the Middle East to urge for peace. Former UN officials urged him to increase his personal and public involvement in a recent letter.
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