INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine next week after a stop in Moscow to confer with
President Vladimir Putin about the war, the UN said Friday.Guterres will see Zelensky and Ukraine's foreign minister on Thursday, two days
after visiting Moscow, the United Nations said in a statement.The Kremlin confirmed Friday that Putin would meet Guterres on
Tuesday.Guterres sent letters this week requesting these in-person meetings to try to regain the initiative for the UN, which has been
largely marginalized from the crisis since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb
24.In part this is because the war has divided the UN Security Council permanent members: the United States, France, Britain, China and
Russia.China has refused to condemn the invasion, depicting Russia as a victim of Western efforts to weaken it.With the letters he sent on
Tuesday, Guterres sought to spur dialogue to end the war."At this time of great peril and consequence, he would like to discuss urgent steps
to bring about peace in Ukraine," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said this week.Guterres has had little contact with Zelensky since the war
began, speaking with him just once by telephone, on March 26.Putin has not taken Guterres's phone calls, or had any contact with him, since
the UN chief stated that the invasion violated the UN charter.
