PRESS RELEASE : Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the UN Secretary-General in Kyiv

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 28 April 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres who arrived in Kyiv.

The President noted the importance of the UN Secretary-General’s visit to Ukraine, as today it is our country that defends the principles of the United Nations Charter.

Before the meeting with the President of Ukraine, António Guterres visited the suburbs of Kyiv and saw with his own eyes the horrible war crimes of Russia in our country.

“I am grateful to Mr. Guterres for the clear and unequivocal position on the war against Ukraine. We appreciate your efforts to use the “good offices” mechanisms to de-escalate the situation. Every opportunity must be used to achieve peace,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a meeting with media representatives following talks with the UN Secretary-General.

According to him, during the conversation the parties touched upon the issue of establishing a special international tribunal on Russia’s crimes.

“For its part, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission must continue to document all crimes committed by the Russian Federation and the Russian military,” the President said.

The President of Ukraine and the UN Secretary-General also discussed the support for Ukrainians through cash payments, increasing humanitarian aid to Ukraine, as well as the importance of involving the UN in the post-war reconstruction of our state.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and António Guterres also paid attention to the food crisis provoked by the war.

“Ukraine is literally giving bread to almost 400 million people on the planet. And now the UN recognizes that rising food prices this year will cause famine for at least 47 million people in 81 countries,” said the President.

The interlocutors discussed how to do everything possible for Russia to unblock Ukrainian ports for food exports.

For his part, António Guterres stressed that the UN considers the Russian invasion of Ukraine a violation of the territorial integrity of our state and the Charter of the United Nations.

The UN Secretary-General noted that he is determined to enhance the support for Ukrainian citizens, help save lives and minimize suffering, and find a way to peace.

António Guterres informed about the work of the UN together with the Ukrainian government and organizations to provide assistance to Ukrainians. According to him, the UN has already provided humanitarian aid to 3.4 million people in Ukraine, and intends to support 8.7 million people by the end of August. The United Nations is also ready to provide financial assistance.

In addition, the UN supports the countries that have sheltered Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war and internally displaced persons in Ukraine.

According to António Guterres, the WHO provides medical supplies for emergency care, treatment of injuries for more than 7 million people. Efforts are being made to support the first aid system and so on.

António Guterres also stressed the importance of the work of the International Criminal Court.

“Now we are at ground zero as regards the world we need to build. A world of respect for international law, the UN Charter, and the power of multilateralism. A world where civilians have protection. Where human rights are a priority. Where leaders live up to the declared values they have committed to. It is also a struggle, but we must win it for the sake of every country, community and person around the world,” said the Secretary-General.