Guterres sent letters to the Russian and Ukrainian UN agencies, it was announced on Wednesday. “In these letters, the Secretary-General asked President (Vladimir) Putin to welcome him to Moscow and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to welcome him to Kiev,” spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in New York. Recently, the UN chief has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in the Ukraine war.
A ceasefire would give civilians the opportunity to evacuate contested areas, he said. At the same time, humanitarian organizations can provide life-saving support in particularly affected regions such as Mariupol, Cherson and Donetsk. According to UN spokesman Dujarric, there was no reaction from the two countries after the delivery of the letters.
APA/AFP/Alexey Nikolsky Guterres wants to meet Russia’s head of state in Moscow – it is questionable whether Putin will invite the UN secretary general (2019 photo)
The United Nations initially did not want to portray the Secretary-General’s initiative as an official attempt at mediation. However, he followed growing calls from the UN apparatus for Guterres to play a more active role in the conflict. It remains questionable whether Putin wants to speak to the UN chief: in view of his clear condemnation of the war of aggression, there was radio silence between the UN headquarters in New York and the Kremlin.
Evacuation in Mariupol failed
Meanwhile, Russia has intensified its attacks in eastern Ukraine and wants to force the fall of the city of Mariupol. According to his own statements, the Russian military bombed 1,053 Ukrainian military sites on Wednesday night. The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that 106 gun stations had been destroyed. Dozens of civilians were rescued from the city of Mariupol, which had been under siege for weeks.
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Verechschuk accused the Russian military of failing to abide by the ceasefire agreed for the evacuation of Mariupol. In addition, Russian buses did not show up at the agreed times at transfer points where refugees were supposed to transfer to Ukrainian buses and ambulances. On Thursday there should be another attempt to bring people to safety.
Reuters/Serhii Nuzhnenko In Mariupol, another evacuation failed
The situation is particularly tense around the Azov-Stahl steelworks, where, according to Russian information, around 2,500 Ukrainian fighters and foreign mercenaries are said to have been hiding. According to Ukrainian information, about 1,000 civilians are also expected to stay there. The Russian Defense Ministry announced in the evening that no one had left the steelworks down the hall. The fighters had already been asked to lay down their weapons and go into Russian captivity. They refused.
Delivery of heavy weapons required
Meanwhile, EU Council President Charles Michel paid a surprise visit to Kiev. At the meeting, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy stressed: “Sanctions, weapons, EU membership and money – this is what we need today.” New sanctions against Russia are also needed immediately. Zelenskyj also called for a total energy embargo – including an import ban on oil and natural gas.
The 5th of May will be the starting point of the #Ukraine Solidarity Trust Fund with the international donor conference.
It is very important to start the rebuilding program as soon as possible.
The EU will be on your side to rebuild the country.@ZelenskyyUa pic.twitter.com/rLYbnWpLpq
— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) April 20, 2022
Especially in view of the material battle that is now starting in eastern Ukraine, Western countries such as the US, Britain, Germany and France agreed on Tuesday to supply Ukraine with heavier weapons as well. Norway has announced plans to deliver 100 Mistral anti-aircraft missiles. The weapons have already been shipped, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense said.
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According to sources, US President Joe Biden will announce another military aid package for Ukraine in the coming days. It will be roughly the same size as the $800 million package released last week, according to several people familiar with the matter. Meanwhile, new US sanctions against Russia have been enacted. The target is the commercial bank Transkapitalbank, according to the Ministry of Finance website. Oligarch Konstantin Malofeev and dozens of others are also affected. In addition, the company Bitriver, which specializes in cryptocurrencies, will be subject to punitive measures.
President of the Council of the EU visited Borodyanka
Michel went to Borodyanka together with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna. “History will not forget the war crimes committed here,” Michel wrote in another tweet that included photos of him standing next to bombed buildings. The city, which is about 30 km from the center of Kiev, was largely destroyed by bombing by the Russian armed forces, and several civilians died.
Ask Mariupol for help
About 100,000 civilians are still in the heavily contested Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Now some of them must be brought to safety through a humanitarian corridor. Ukrainian soldiers also expect an evacuation.
After the withdrawal of Russian troops in late March, President Zelenskyy said the atrocities in Borodyanka were “even more terrible” than those in neighboring Bucha. There, several civilians were apparently shot by the Russians and their bodies left on the street.
Since the start of the Russian war against Ukraine on February 24, several heads of state and government have visited Zelenskyy in Kiev, including Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP). European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell traveled to Kiev about a week and a half ago to reaffirm the European Union’s support for Ukraine in the fight against the Russian invasion.