Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has hinted that Russia’s cessation of airstrikes against energy targets and cargo ships could pave the way for negotiations to end the war. “When it comes to energy and freedom of navigation, getting results on these points would be a sign that Russia might be willing to end the war,” he told reporters in kyiv on Monday, according to the Financial Times.
The Ukrainian president declared that if Moscow and kyiv agreed to end attacks against their respective energy infrastructures, it would be a significant step towards de-escalating the conflict, in reference to Ukrainian drone attacks against Russian oil refineries, the same newspaper reported. “We saw during the first summit [de paz] that there could be a decision on energy security. In other words: we do not attack their energy infrastructure, they do not attack ours. Could this lead to the end of the hot phase of the war? I think so”.
For now, kyiv and Ukraine’s positions appear to remain distant and there is no indication that they are willing to engage in broader peace talks to end the conflict. Zelensky is trying to step on the accelerator to obtain support for what he has dubbed the “plan for victory,” with which he seeks to pressure his allies to “strengthen” their position, militarily and diplomatically, in the face of eventual negotiations with Moscow. but so far the proposal has been received lukewarmly by Western partners.
Ukraine is going through a difficult time more than two and a half years after the start of the full-scale invasion, with Moscow’s troops gradually but steadily advancing in the east and on the verge of a harsh winter following Russian bombings of its energy infrastructure. The backdrop is the uncertainty over the crucial US elections on November 5, and the consequences they may have on the continuity of support for Ukraine, as well as greater pressure to seek a negotiated end to the conflict. According to the FTZelensky has also stated that Russia’s willingness to negotiate “depends first of all on the American elections.”
Guterres arrives in Russia for BRICS summit
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General António Guterres has arrived in the Russian city of Kazan to attend the XVI summit of the BRICS group, on the sidelines of which he will meet with the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.
The meeting with the head of the Kremlin, which will take place this Thursday, is “one of the main reasons for his attendance,” said the deputy spokesman for the secretary general, Farhan Haq. This will be the first time Guterres and Putin will see each other since April 2022, two months after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to the spokesperson, Guterres will underline to Putin “his well-known position on the war in Ukraine and the conditions for a just peace based on the UN founding charter and resolutions,” referring to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. “It will continue its efforts to restore safe shipping in the Black Sea, which is critically important for global food and energy security, especially for the world’s most vulnerable countries.”
Guterres’ visit to Russia has not gone down well with kyiv. The Ukrainian Government has criticized the UN Secretary General for agreeing to meet with Putin, after in June he ruled out attending the peace conference held in Switzerland – organized by the invaded country – and attended by numerous international leaders. “Instead, he accepts the invitation to Kazan from the war criminal Putin,” lamented the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on social networks.
Haq said Guterres is going to Kazan “as he did previously at (the group’s previous summit in) South Africa, as has always been his custom when attending meetings of organizations with a large number of important member states, such as the G7 or the G20.” . The spokesperson highlighted that the countries of the BRICS group “represent almost half of humanity” and, therefore, the summit “is of great importance for the work of the UN with the member countries” of that organization.
“With regard to Ukraine and visits to this country, the Secretary General is looking forward to visiting Ukraine at a time convenient to both parties, as previously agreed with the President [Volodímir] Zelensko in September, when they met,” he continued.
The BRICS group, initially made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has expanded to nine members with the integration of Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates and seeks to become a powerful counterweight to the West.
The Russian president, the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, is trying to show the West that he is not isolated. “In these years of common efforts the authority and influence of our alliance have increased. “We intend to continue strengthening this organization,” Putin said before opening the summit in Kazan, in the first international meeting held in Russia since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, which turned this country into a pariah in the eyes of the rest. in the world by being subject to thousands of sanctions. In recent weeks, the Kremlin has highlighted that the member countries of the group founded in 2006 are an alternative to the Western monopoly, since they represent a third of the world economy and close to half of the planet’s population.
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