United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres considered that a peace negotiation in the Ukraine crisis is not possible at this stage since “both sides are convinced that they can win.” This was in Guterres’ interview with the El Pais newspaper Tuesday on the sidelines of his visit to Spain to receive the Carlos V European award offered by the Yuste Foundation, which is concerned with strengthening ties between Spain, Europe and Latin America.
Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are not possible at this stage, he said, pointing out that he does not see Russia ready to withdraw from the lands it occupies at a time when Ukraine hopes to regain control over it.
What the UN is currently doing is dialogue with both sides to solve certain problems, the most important of which is the initiative to export grain from Ukraine, food products and fertilizers from Russia across the Black Sea, he explained.
A four-party meeting is currently being prepared between Russia, Ukraine, the UN and Turkiye in the capital of Istanbul to better response to the challenges of this issue, he mentioned.
On the danger of escalation and the use of nuclear weapons, Guterres considered that the occurrence of a nuclear escalation is very small, pointing out that the Chinese initiative was crucial in declaring clearly that nuclear escalation is unacceptable, while underlining that China’s position is very vital to avoid that temptation.
Speaking about climate change, Guterres stressed the need to make major changes to reduce emissions, pointing out that he proposed an agreement between the largely developed and emerging economies to reach carbon neutrality by 2040, at most by 2050.
This direction is not being pursued due to the absence of the political will of governments on the one hand, and the insufficient contribution of the private sector on the other, he said, noting that this is not sufficient to avoid a disaster with unexpected consequences.
Regarding the refugee crisis, he said that there is no policy to regulate the movement of migration as smuggling and trafficking networks contain horrific human rights violations.
At the outset of his visit, Guterres reviewed with Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday international and regional issues, foremost among them the war in Ukraine and guaranteeing food security, as well as developments in Sudan, the Western Sahara, the Middle East and Haiti.
Later today, Guterres will receive from Spain’s King Felipe VI the aforementioned award granted to individuals that contribute their efforts to the dissemination of public knowledge along with the promotion of cultural, scientific and historical values of Europe as well as the unification of European society.
Source: Kuwait News Agency