Putin-Zelensky Meeting Far From Possible But UN Ready to Help Facilitate, Guterres Says

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - The potential for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is far from possible at the moment but the United Nations is ready to help facilitate such meeting, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Sputnik.

"Realistically, I think we are still far from that possibility. Probably it will be still difficult to have direct meeting between the two presidents, but that, of course, depends on them," Guterres said.

Guterres added that the UN is ready to facilitate such negotiations, and that it would be "important" to create conditions for achieving peace in accordance with the UN Charter, with international law, but the holding of this meeting depends on the wishes of Putin and Zelensky.

In his opinion, the chances of concluding a peace agreement between Kiev and Moscow at the moment are minimal. Mainly, because both sides "are still committed" to the goals in the current crisis. Guterres added that the organization "heard" Putin committing to go on with the special military operation until its targets are reached, and Zelensky to "liberate" parts of Ukraine that are under Russian control.

Guterres Hopes Russia, Ukraine Reach Broad Agreement on Prisoners

Furthermore, Guterres told Spuntik that he hopes Russia and Ukraine will reach a broad agreement to resolve issues concerning prisoners of war.

"The exchange of prisoners of war is a positive thing, it reduces the sufferings of the prisoners themselves, the sufferings of their families. The position I have and I expressed is that the ideal would be to have ‘all for all’ exchange," Guterres said.

Asked if the UN is ready to facilitate such an exchange, Guterres said that normally the UN does not participate in the exchange of prisoners of war, as this is the responsibility of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

"We express our wish that Russia and Ukraine will be able to reach agreements as broad as possible in that regard," Guterres said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine will not help facilitate exports of Russian ammonia if Moscow does not release Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin in a conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pointed out that Russia grants the ICRC access to Ukrainian prisoners of war, while Kiev is not doing the same.

Far Away Meeting

Regarding the possibility of a face-to-face meeting with the Russian leader, in an earlier interview with CNN, Zelensky said he was not ready to negotiate with Putin and considered diplomacy possible after the withdrawal of Russian forces from the territories they are currently deployed in. In the first months of the military operation, however, Zelensky repeatedly urged Putin to meet with him in person to talk to him as a "neighbor."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier that Russia is ready and wants to resolve the situation in Ukraine through diplomacy on its own terms, the subject of Moscow’s conversation with Kiev may be how exactly Russia’s conditions will be met. At the same time, Peskov noted that Moscow's conditions remain the same. The ultimate goal of the special operation, according to Putin, is "the liberation of Donbass and the creation of conditions that would guarantee the security of Russia itself."

Meanwhile, on June 9, Zelensky signed a decree enacting the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine on the application of personal sanctions against Putin.

The sanctions, imposed indefinitely, include blocking of assets, ban on export-import operations, and the prevention of the withdrawal of capital from Ukraine.

The sanctions also affected Peskov, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, deputy prime ministers, ministers, and other officials.

Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24.