Not optimistic about risk of efficient peace talks in Ukraine conflict in speedy future: UN chief

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres mentioned on Monday he’s “not optimistic” about the potential of “effective peace talks” within the Ukraine conflict within the speedy future.

New Delhi,UPDATED: Dec 20, 2022 04:50 IST

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. (Image: AP)

By Press Trust of India: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres mentioned on Monday he’s “not optimistic” about the potential of “effective peace talks” within the Ukraine conflict within the speedy future and voiced concern that the navy confrontation will go on.

“I am not optimistic about the possibility of effective peace talks at the immediate future. I do believe that the military confrontation will go on and I think we will have still to wait a moment in which serious negotiations for peace will be possible,” Guterres mentioned Monday.

Guterres was responding to a query on whether or not he sees any opening in any respect for peace talks in Ukraine at his finish of 12 months press convention.

“I don’t see them in the immediate horizon and that is why we are concentrating our efforts on different other aspects, including in relation to increasing the efficiency of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, studying the possibility of adding new components to that initiative such as ammonia exports, accelerating the exchange of prisoners of war especially as the world approaches.

“I can’t imagine how dramatic it is to be a prisoner of war in another country, with the kind of war we are witnessing in Ukraine. So we will go on trying to be useful, offering platforms of dialogue for these aspects to minimize suffering but we have no illusions that a true peace negotiation would be possible in the immediate future.” In response to a different query on the Ukraine conflict, Guterres underlined that when he mentioned he doesn’t see possibilities for true peace negotiation within the speedy horizon, he “did not mean the whole of 2023. I strongly hope that in 2023, we’ll be able to reach peace in Ukraine.” Guterres mentioned the implications of the conflict for the Ukrainian folks, for the Russian society and economic system, in addition to for the worldwide economic system, particularly for growing nations grappling with excessive costs of meals, vitality and elevated inequalities are all “reasons for us to do everything possible to make a peace solution happen before the end of 2023.”

Published On:

Dec 20, 2022