Russian President, Putin, To Meet United Nations Secretary-General Over Ukraine Invasion

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Russian President, Vladimir Putin, would hold talks with the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in Russia, on Tuesday, AFP reports.

The Kremlin made the announcement on Friday, the 58th day of Moscow’s military action in Ukraine.

Thousands had been killed and more than 12 million people displaced in Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II.

“On Tuesday, April 26, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will arrive in Moscow for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov,” Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told state news agency RIA Novosti.

“He will also be received by Russian President Vladimir Putin.” No other details were immediately provided.

The UN confirmed that the secretary-general would meet with Putin in Moscow next week.

“He will also be received by Russian President Vladimir Putin.”

No other details were immediately provided.

On Friday, the UN spokeswoman, Eri Kaneko, said the Ukraine visit was still in the works.

“We are still working with Ukraine on the scheduling and preparation,” Kaneko told reporters.

“The UN has been largely marginalised in the crisis since Putin sent troops to Ukraine on February 24.

“Guterres seeks to spur dialogue to end the conflict,” the UN said.

Putin had not taken Guterres’s phone calls nor had any contact with him since the UN chief stated that Russia’s military campaign violated the UN charter.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said on Friday that Russian actions in Ukraine, which had included summary executions of civilians and levelling of civilian infrastructure, may amount to war crimes.