UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has pledged more UN action to evacuate civilians in Ukraine’s war and for food security. Contacts with Russian and Ukrainian authorities are maintained, Guterres said after a meeting with Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (both ÖVP) in Vienna on Wednesday.
“We will carry out a number of these operations, but we will not make them public until they are completed,” said the UN secretary-general. He recalled his efforts to evacuate civilians from Mariupol during his visits to Moscow and Kiev. In addition, behind-the-scenes talks would be held with Russia, Ukraine and Turkey to export wheat and other staples. It is important for the EU to cooperate with the UN in this regard, said Nehammer.
Guterres and Nehammer stressed the importance of keeping in touch with Russian President Vladimir Putin in light of his visits to Moscow. “It makes perfect sense to talk to the leader of the Russian Federation,” Guterres said. This makes it possible to better understand the motivations and goals and save the lives of civilians. “In my opinion, there can’t be one more conversation, just one less,” says Nehammer. It is necessary to be in contact with the conflicting parties on both sides and continue to seek dialogue, clearly pointing to Russia as the aggressor.
answer must be common
“We must take every opportunity to reach a negotiated solution,” Guterres said in an interview with ORF’s “ZiB2”. Asked about Russia’s possible use of nuclear weapons, he said: “I cannot imagine the possibility of a nuclear confrontation in the 21st century.”
Guterres called on Europeans to provide financial support to Moldova, which has taken in large numbers of refugees from neighboring Ukraine. “We Europeans must not fall into Eurocentric navel contemplation,” declared Schallenberg. The answer must be common. The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine was “in reality an attack on the United Nations charter” and the ban on the use of force. States are called upon to defend the system with the UN at heart. Austria, as the home State, will bear the costs of the renovation in Vienna, which is a good investment in the future. Nehammer also stressed that, in addition to the war in Ukraine, other pain points should not be overlooked.
Guterres had already called for an end to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. “This senseless war has to stop,” Guterres said after a visit to Federal President Alexander van der Bellen. “The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused enormous devastation, destruction and suffering in the country.”
“This war will not last forever,” the UN Secretary-General emphasized. The time for peace talks will come again and his cabinet will also be ready for it, “but that’s not immediately on the horizon,” Guterres said. In view of the dramatic loss of life and destruction in Ukraine, hope must never be lost.
Indispensable UN for Van der Bellen
Van der Bellen thanked Guterres for his trip to Moscow and Kiev, which was successful given the situation in Mariupol. Austria, as a neutral state, will do everything possible to offer its mediation services to reach a lasting peace once the situation calms down, Van der Bellen said. The UN is “indispensable” for exchanges at the international level in numerous forums.
Guterres was also welcomed by National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP). He stressed that the United Nations “played a special role as a mediator in the Ukraine war and it is more important today than ever before”. Guterres was quoted in parliamentary correspondence as saying that Austria is a country that people listen to and that it has already shown great mediation in many situations.
Guterres will chair the spring meeting of the United Nations’ highest coordination and strategy body, which will take place at UN Headquarters in Vienna until Friday. “The international community is invited to Vienna and we are happy about it,” explained Schallenberg. Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler and Justice Minister Alma Zadić met Volker Türk, the highest-ranking Austrian official at the UN General Secretariat, on the sidelines of the UN Executive Council’s spring meeting in Vienna. (apa)