Guterres’ visit comes two days after he met Russian President Putin in Moscow.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after announcing his arrival in Kyiv, on Wednesday, started the visit from the towns on the outskirts of Kyiv where Russia has been accused of committing war crimes.
“The war is an absurdity in the 21st century – the war is evil and when you see these situations, our heart of course stays with the victims, our condolences to their families. But our emotions – there is no way war can be acceptable in the 21st century.” He said during his visit.
The UN Secretary-General was due to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later today on Thursday.
“When I see those destroyed buildings, I imagine my family in one of those houses now destroyed and black. I see my granddaughters running in panic,” the UN chief told reporters in Borodyanka, northwest of the Ukrainian capital, while monitoring the wreckage of apartment blocks.
“We will continue our work to expand humanitarian support and secure the evacuation of civilians from conflict zones. The sooner this war ends, the better — for the sake of Ukraine, Russia and the world,” he tweeted.
Guterres’ visit on Thursday comes two days after he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, where he stressed the need for so-called “humanitarian corridors”.
Guterres-Putin meeting in Moscow
Earlier, the UN chief met with the Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Moscow on April 26, according to a readout issued by UN Chief’s spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric. During the tête-a-tête meeting, they discussed the proposals for humanitarian assistance and evacuation of civilians from conflict zones, while Guterres reiterated the UN’s position on Ukraine.
“…it is my deep conviction that the sooner we end this war, the better – for the people of Ukraine, for the people of the Russian Federation, and those far beyond,” Guterres said while talking to reporters.
Guterres and Putin also discussed proposals for humanitarian assistance and evacuation of civilians from conflict zones, especially the situation in Mariupol.
“The President agreed, in principle, to the involvement of the United Nations and the International Committee for the Red Cross in the evacuation of civilians from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol”, said Dujarric.