Beijing, 29 Apr (Xinhua) -- Russia-Ukraine dialogue and negotiations have been blocked, and Guterres's mediation has been obstructed
Xinhua News Agency
When UN Secretary-General Guterres visited Ukraine on the 28th, he said that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict must end and peace be achieved in accordance with the UN Charter and the principles of international law. Guterres visited Russia and Ukraine from 26 to 28 July, and held talks with Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelenskiy respectively to promote the two countries to resolve the current conflict through dialogue and negotiation.
Un United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres( center) visits the town of Borojanka in Kiev Oblast, Ukraine, on April 28. (Xinhua News Agency, Photo by Un.E. Eskind de Beb)
Analysts pointed out that since the escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the international community has generally supported the two sides to solve the problem through dialogue and negotiation, but the United States and some western allies are increasing military assistance to Ukraine, and NATO led by the United States has repeatedly sent additional military forces to eastern Europe.
United Nations-brokered ceasefire
At present, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is still fierce, and the negotiations between the two sides have reached an impasse. The face-to-face negotiations between the two sides in Istanbul, Turkey, at the end of March made positive progress, the Russian side promised to significantly reduce military operations in the direction of Kiev and Chernihiv in the Ukrainian capital, and the Ukrainian side proposed to establish a neutral position under international security guarantees, so that the international community saw the dawn of a peaceful settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, but the subsequent "Bucha Incident" led to the obstruction of peace talks. In early April, the Ukrainian side accused Russian troops of killing hundreds of civilians in the city of Bucha in northwestern Kiev, but the Russian side denied the allegation and called it a slander.
The fierce competition between Russia and Ukraine over Mariupol, a strategic location in eastern Ukraine, also has an impact on the negotiations. Zelenskiy said on the 23rd that if the people trapped in Mariupol are eliminated or the Russian side holds a so-called referendum in the "occupied zone", the Ukrainian side will withdraw from negotiations with Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, holds talks with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in Moscow on April 26. Xinhua News Agency/TASS
Guterres' trip to Russia and Ukraine took place against this backdrop. In Russia, he held talks with Putin on the 26th. U.N. Secretary-General spokesman Diarik issued a statement on the outcome of the talks saying putin agreed in principle to the involvement of the United Nations and the International Red Cross in the evacuation of civilians from the Azov steel plant in Mariupol. During talks with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov on the same day, Guterres expressed the hope that conditions would be created for effective dialogue so that a ceasefire could be achieved as soon as possible.
Ukrainian President Zelenskiy, right, meets with visiting UN Secretary-General António Guterres in Kiev, Ukraine, on April 28. Xinhua News Agency (Courtesy of the Office of the President of Ukraine)
In Ukraine, Guterres held talks with Zelenskiy on the 28th. He said that while promoting a comprehensive ceasefire, the United Nations would continue to seek practical measures to save lives and reduce suffering. Zelenskiy said that the Ukrainian side is ready to hold emergency talks with the Russian side on the evacuation of trapped people from Mariupol, and hopes that the participation of the UN Secretary-General will help the evacuation work.
America adds fuel to the fire
During Guterres' visit to Russia and Ukraine to mediate the conflict, the U.S. government stepped up its planning for how to provide more military support to Ukraine. US President Joe Biden asked Congress to approve a total of $33 billion in "fiscal 2022 emergency supplementary funds" on the 28th, of which $20.4 billion was used to provide military and security assistance to Ukraine and support the United States to cooperate with NATO allies and partners to strengthen European security.
Staff sort out the American flag at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on March 24. The three summits of NATO, the Group of Seven and the European Union were held in Brussels, Belgium, on the 24th. (Photo by Xinhua reporter Zhang Cheng)
On the 26th, the United States pulled more than 40 countries, including NATO allies, to a meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany to discuss issues such as continuing to provide weapons assistance to Ukraine to enhance its combat capabilities.
U.S. Defense Secretary Austin said after the meeting that a "liaison group" composed of participants in the meeting would be formed and met monthly to strengthen and coordinate efforts to aid Ukraine, help Ukraine win the conflict and deal with future difficulties.
The US "People's World" news website pointed out in an article on the 28th that neither the US officials attending the meeting nor the leaders of NATO member states expressed any interest or support for Guterres's efforts to promote a ceasefire. The United States convened this meeting of allies and partners to arm Ukraine so that it can fight Russia for a long time.
Peace talks are the right way
Analysts pointed out that in order to maintain its hegemony and contain Russia, the United States has constantly added fuel to the fire of the situation in Ukraine by advocating so-called "common values" and selling security anxieties, which is not conducive to peacefully resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
Suslov, deputy director of the Center for Integrated European and International Studies at Russia's Higher University of Economics, said that the United States has provided a lot of assistance to Ukraine and increased the supply of weapons to Ukraine, especially more and more heavy weapons, aimed at allowing Ukraine to delay military operations against Russia as much as possible, which will further delay the negotiation process.
Many countries in the world are speaking out for peace and supportIng Russia and Ukraine in ending the conflict through negotiations. Indian Foreign Minister Jaithon Sojayson said that India's position is consistent and firm, and India advocates a peaceful solution to the problem and direct dialogue between the two sides of the conflict. South African President Ramaphosa said war and violence would never really solve any problem and that South Africa insisted that mediation, dialogue and negotiation should be pursued. The statement of cuba's Foreign Ministry said that it supports the parties in seeking a diplomatic solution through dialogue and consultation on the basis of mutual respect.
Zhang Jun, the permanent representative of China to the United Nations in New York, front row, speaks at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on April 19 as the United Nations Security Council considers humanitarian issues in Ukraine. (Photo by Xinhua news agency reporter Xie Yi)
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on the 26th that he hoped that all parties concerned would remain calm and restrained, prevent the situation from escalating, achieve peace as soon as possible, and avoid making Europe and the world pay a greater price. Under the current circumstances, all parties should first support dialogue and negotiation to prevent the expansion and long-termization of conflicts. (Participating reporters: Geng Pengyu, Deng Xianlai)