Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleva interviewing Associated Press▶ Click here for a larger view
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleva has urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to visit Russia to persuade Russia to evacuate civilians from the port city of Mariupol in southern Ukraine.
“Secretary-General Guterres should focus on one single priority: evacuation of civilians from Mariupol,” Kuleva said in an interview with the Associated Press on the 25th (local time). emphasized.
Secretary-General Guterres will visit Moscow, Russia on the 26th to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is his first meeting with Putin since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
But Kuleva was concerned that Guterres would visit Russia before Ukraine, saying that it could fall into a trap set by Russia.
“Many foreign officials fell into a trap during their visit to Russia and failed to function properly, proving just how good Russia’s diplomacy is and how Russia influences the way the world behaves,” he said.
UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq protested that Guterres’ schedule was coordinated with both sides and had no special meaning.
Deputy Spokesperson Farhan added that Guterres will meet with Putin with a number of proposals, adding that “it is a sensitive moment and I cannot elaborate on the details.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin▶ Click here for a larger view
Kuleva thanked the US and other Western support for the resistance, but said, “As long as the Russian military is on Ukrainian soil, nothing is enough.”
“It’s not because the Ukrainians are greedy, trying to rip off as much as they can, but because they have to win the war,” he said.
He emphasized that if Ukraine wins the war, it would prevent Russia from penetrating further into Europe.
Kuleva also expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that Western arms support for Ukraine’s victory was being delayed due to procedures.
He also said, “If you look at the discussions regarding arms support, we first say, ‘We need this,’ and the other country says, ‘Let’s think about whether we really need it.’ “This is a key issue we need to address,” he said.
To end the war, Kuleva stressed that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin must hold a direct dialogue.
“The sooner the two meet, the closer the end of the war will be, and the more President Putin avoids a summit, the more he will focus on the war,” he said.
Minister Kuleva also predicted that peace negotiations would become more difficult as tensions escalate in Mariupol.
About 100,000 civilians are currently locked down in Mariupol, and hundreds of civilians are also reported to be imprisoned at the Azoustal Works, which the Ukrainian military uses as the last stronghold in Mariupol.
“I sent a very strong message[to Russia],” Kleva said.
Azoustal Steel Works, the base of the Ukrainian Army’s Decisive War▶ Click here for a larger view
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