Ukraine asks UN Secretary-General meeting Putin to "persuade evacuation of civilians"

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United Nations Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres held a press conference on the 28th of last month (local time) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA, marking one month since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] The Ukrainian government has urged Ant?nio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General who is meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, to persuade Russia to allow civilians to evacuate from Mariupol, a southern Ukrainian port city controlled by Russian forces.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in an interview with the Associated Press on the 25th (local time), "Secretary-General Guterres must focus solely on the priority of civilian evacuation from Mariupol," emphasizing, "This is something the UN can actually do."

Secretary-General Guterres is scheduled to visit Moscow, Russia, on the 26th to hold talks with President Putin. This will be his first meeting with President Putin since the outbreak of the Ukraine war on February 24.

However, Minister Kuleba expressed concern that Guterres might fall into a trap set by Russia, noting that Guterres is visiting Russia before Ukraine. He pointed out, "Many foreign officials have fallen into traps during visits to Russia, failing to perform their proper roles and only demonstrating how excellent Russian diplomacy is and how Russia influences the world's way of acting."

In response, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq defended that Guterres' schedule was coordinated with both sides and holds no special significance. Deputy Spokesperson Farhan added that Guterres will meet President Putin with many proposals and said, "It is a sensitive moment, so I cannot disclose the details."

Minister Kuleba also expressed gratitude for the support from the West, including the United States, which enabled resistance, but stated, "Nothing is enough as long as Russian troops set foot on Ukrainian soil," adding, "This is not because Ukrainians are greedy and want to take more, but because we must win the war."

Minister Kuleba also voiced dissatisfaction with the delay in Western arms support for Ukraine's victory due to procedural issues. He said, "In discussions about arms support, when we say 'this is needed,' the other side says, 'Let's think about whether it is really necessary.' Eventually, we get what we need, but the war continues in the meantime. This is a core issue we must resolve."

Minister Kuleba emphasized that to end the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Putin must engage in direct dialogue. He said that negotiations at levels lower than the two leaders cannot solve anything, adding, "The sooner the two meet, the closer the moment of ceasefire becomes, and the more President Putin avoids summit talks, the more he will focus on the war."

Minister Kuleba also expressed concern for the civilians remaining in Mariupol. He said, "We have sent a very strong message (to Russia)," adding, "Killing them or capturing them as prisoners to humiliate them is a red line, and that means the end (of negotiations)."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.