This content was published on April 20, 2022 – 5:59 PM April 20, 2022 – 5:59 PM
United Nations, 20 April (EFE).- The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, wrote to the Presidents of Russia Vladimir Putin and Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday, Tuesday, asking them to arrange a visit in Moscow and Kyiv, the organization reported today.
In the letters, Guterres reminds them that both Russia and Ukraine are founding members of the UN and “have always solidly supported the organization,” but we are now “in times of great peril.”
Guterres tells them he wants to discuss with them “urgent steps to bring peace to Ukraine,” but also “the future of unilateralism based on the United Nations Charter and international law.”
The role of the UN in this war in Ukraine has been questioned not only because of its inability to stop it or its failure to mediate between the parties, but also because of the fact that Russia holds a permanent seat on the Security Council, the only UN body with some executive powers, but paralyzed by Russia’s veto power.
Yesterday Guterres proposed that Russia and Ukraine declare a four-day “Easter truce” (in reference to the Orthodox Easter celebrations that begin tomorrow, Thursday), but only Ukraine backed his proposal on evacuating civilians from those hardest hit by the war to help the injured.
On the contrary, Russia has only intensified its offensive on Donetsk, Lugansk and the besieged city of Mariupol, without even commenting on Guterres’ proposal. EFE
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