U.N. chief, Vladimir Putin discuss war in Ukraine
The Hindu
Antonio Guterres says call to Russia President was a follow-up to his meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday about exporting Russian fertiliser through Ukraine's Black Sea ports to address a growing global food crisis that threatens multiple famines.
The U.N. chief said they also discussed security at Europe's largest nuclear plant, where he said bombing has stopped for the past three days, and prisoners of war which he would like to see exchanged.
Mr. Guterres told a news conference that Mr. Putin said a fact-finding mission he appointed at the request of Russia and Ukraine to investigate killings at the Olenivka prison in a separatist region of eastern Ukraine on July 29 will be able to go there “through whatever way we choose, and that is a very important aspect.” The warring nations accuse each other of carrying out the attack in which separatist authorities and Russian officials said 53 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed and 75 were wounded.
Mr. Guterres said the call to Mr. Putin was a follow-up to his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Lviv on August 18, and regular calls to the head of Mr. Zelenskyy's office, Andriy Yermak.
Mr. Putin is not attending next week’s annual gathering of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly which Mr. Guterres said is taking place “at a time of great peril.” “Our world is blighted by war, battered by climate chaos, scarred by hate, and shamed by poverty, hunger and inequality,” the Secretary-General said.
The war in Ukraine is not only devastating the country but dragging down the global economy, Mr. Guterres said, and hopes for a peace deal are “minimal." He added, “I would be lying if I would say that I hope that it will happen soon.” Despite the July 22 deal to start shipping Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports and get Russian food and fertilisers to global markets, Mr. Guterres said, “there is a risk of multiple famines this year.”
The Secretary-General said high prices for fertiliser have already reduced the planting of food crops which is why it is critical to increase Russian exports of ammonia -- a key ingredient of fertilisers -- and why talks are taking place on the possibly of shipping through the Black Sea ports which are currently being used to ship grain from Ukraine.