UN, 20 Apr. UN Secretary General António Guterres would like to discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky any urgent steps that can be taken to end hostilities in Ukraine, said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary General. visit both capitals and meet with both presidents to discuss any urgent steps that can be taken to end the fighting,» Dujarric said at the briefing. /> The UN Secretary General asked Putin and Zelensky to receive him in Moscow and Kyiv «As for the timing (of a possible trip — ed.): the first stage, so to speak, is to receive a response from both sides,» he added, pointing out that no response has yet been received. Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on 24 February. President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.» For this, according to him, it is planned to carry out «demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine», to bring to justice all war criminals responsible for «bloody crimes against civilians» in Donbass. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces strike only at military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops and , on March 25, completed the main tasks of the first stage — significantly reduced the combat potential of Ukraine. The main goal in the Russian military department was called the liberation of Donbass.
