UN chief urges renewed Ukraine peace talks after US diplomatic visits

12:25

By: Azzat Manal

UN chief urges renewed Ukraine peace talks after US diplomatic visits

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed hope that recent diplomatic efforts by senior US envoys in Russia and Ukraine could help revive negotiations aimed at ending the war and securing an immediate ceasefire.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Tuesday that Guterres welcomed the latest diplomatic contacts, including visits by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv. The UN chief hopes these initiatives will contribute to the resumption of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine and create conditions for a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire.

The comments come as international efforts continue to explore possible avenues toward a political settlement of the conflict, which has remained a major security and humanitarian issue in Europe.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier that Moscow remained ready to negotiate on Ukraine, stressing that any settlement should address what Russia considers the underlying causes of the conflict. His remarks came after talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

Lavrov also said the recent visit by Witkoff and Kushner to Moscow had received extensive coverage in Russia, with official assessments of the discussions being issued by the Kremlin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Witkoff and Kushner at the Kremlin on September 5. The meeting lasted nearly three hours and focused on the Ukraine conflict and possible diplomatic avenues.

Following the talks, Yuri Ushakov, a senior adviser to Putin, said the Russian president had reiterated the need to address what Moscow describes as the root causes of the conflict.

The latest diplomatic contacts come amid continued international calls for a negotiated solution. While the positions of Moscow and Kyiv remain significantly different on key issues, renewed dialogue could provide an opportunity to explore conditions for a ceasefire and broader peace negotiations.