Likewise, the statement added, during a phone call the day before, the UN’s highest official reiterated the need to set up humanitarian corridors for the distribution of aid and the evacuation of people in this Eastern European country.
Guterres and Erdogan also discussed the situation in Jerusalem, with the UN chief reiterating his position that the status quo at holy sites must be maintained and respected and that any provocation must be avoided as a matter of urgency.
For his part, the head of humanitarian aid at the United Nations, Martin Griffiths, announced that he would travel to Turkey this week to explore ways in which the UN could support the mediation role.
Just a few days ago, Griffiths was in Kyiv and Moscow, meeting with authorities in both capitals to facilitate humanitarian aid access to Ukrainian territory.
The United Nations has put forward proposals to end the fire in various locations and create safe corridors to help and evacuate civilians, he said.
On March 10, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Russia and Ukraine Sergei Lavrov and Dmitry Kuleba met in the Turkish city of Antalya in the presence of their counterpart from that nation, Mevlut Cavusoglu.
After these talks, the head of the Moscow mission and adviser to the Russian President, Vladimir Medinsky, commented that talks on key issues are continuing without progress, while positions on smaller issues are narrowing.
In addition, he stressed that Moscow insists on signing a comprehensive treaty, which, in addition to Ukraine’s neutral status and its security guarantees, establishes a number of clauses fundamental to the Eurasian nation.
Among them, Medinski said, are the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, the definition of the status and the recognition of Crimea and the People’s Republics of Donbass.
Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 after the authorities of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics requested help to repel mounting aggression from Kyiv.
Previously, Moscow had recognized the independence and sovereignty of both territories and signed treaties of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with their leaders, which included the establishment of diplomatic relations and military assistance.
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