Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, has disclosed that achieving peace negotiations to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine is currently not feasible.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that Guterres shared this statement during an interview published in the Spanish daily El Pais on Tuesday.
His declaration comes as the leaders of Russia and Ukraine marked the end of World War II by calling for victory.
On Tuesday, during the Red Square Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that the world was at a “turning point” and alleged that a “war” had been unleashed against Russia.
The day before, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised that Russian forces would be defeated “just as Nazism was defeated.”
In reaction, Guterres said: “It is clear that the (two) parties are completely absorbed in this war” and “are convinced that they can win”, the UN chief was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
Guterres said he hoped it was possible “in the future” to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table.
“The Russian invasion of Ukraine… cause the country and its population suffering and massive destruction and add to the global economic disruption provoked by the Covid-19 pandemic,” Guterres was quoted as saying.
“That’s why we have to raise our voice and reaffirm our values. And above all, we need peace,” added the 74-year-old former prime minister of Portugal.
Guterres was awarded the Carlos V European Award on Tuesday. The accolade is given to individuals or organizations that have contributed to the enrichment of Europe’s cultural and historical values or to EU integration.
However, the diplomat emphasized that despite the current circumstances, the United Nations is committed to doing everything in its power to encourage Kiev and Moscow to engage in negotiations.
