Russia-Ukraine: UN Chief, Guterres Calls for Ceasefire

Russia-Ukraine: UN Chief, Guterres Calls for Ceasefire

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a ceasefire agreement “as soon as possible” during talks with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.

THECONSCIENCENG reports that Head of UN will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin later on Tuesday.

Kyiv urges Guterres to push for Mariupol evacuations, with tens of thousands still stranded in the besieged port city.

Russia warns the conflict in Ukraine could escalate into World War III, says Western weapons sent to its neighbour “will be a legitimate target”.

Moldova’s Russia-backed breakaway region of Transnistria raises “terrorist threat level” after reported attacks which come days after Moscow said it was seeking access to the area.

Meanwhile, the leader of Transnistria Vadim Krasnoselsky has suggested groups in Ukraine were to blame for a series of recent attacks in the region.

“As the first conclusions of urgent operational and investigative measures suggest, these attacks can be traced to Ukraine… I presume that those who plotted these attacks pursue the goal of drawing Transnistria into the conflict. I can say for sure that these attempts will fail,” Tass news agency reported, according to a statement posted by Krasnoselsky’s press office.

Moreover, he called on the Ukrainian government “to investigate the facts of the illegal relocation of particular combat groups and the terror attacks that they committed”, Tass wrote.