In Ukraine, António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), has been criticized for remaining pale in Russia's war of aggression against the country.

Now the Portuguese traveled to Moscow, he wants to go to Kyiv soon.

It should be a peace mission.

But the low expectations seemed to be confirmed following the meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, ahead of a scheduled meeting with President Vladimir Putin.

Frederick Smith

Political correspondent for Russia and the CIS in Moscow.

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Lavrov used the beginning of the press conference at Guterres' side to repeat a number of slogans that Putin had coined for events in the neighboring country, such as Ukraine as the West's "staging area" in order to "contain" Russia.

Guterres is "well informed" about Putin's goals in the "military special operation", as the war is called in Russia, about the "protection of the civilian population".

Biden allegedly threatens UN

Lavrov obviously didn't just want to talk about Ukraine, but portrayed the UN as being threatened by Western advances such as a (virtual) "democracy summit" hosted by American President Joe Biden at the end of last year.

Lavrov claimed that a resolution passed by a large majority in the UN General Assembly against the invasion of Ukraine was passed under American duress.

In addition, Lavrov accused the UN General Secretariat, and thus Guterres himself, of not exerting any pressure on Kyiv to fulfill the Minsk agreements (this always means the Moscow interpretation).

Russia's foreign minister also complained about western arms deliveries to Ukraine.

Lavrov named this on state television on Monday evening as one of the factors in a "serious, real danger" that a "third world war" could break out.

Lavrov, along with Guterres, stressed that once Western weapons arrived in Ukraine, they would become a "legitimate target" of the "special operation."

What is meant are airstrikes on trains.

This could be taken as a moderate statement, because Russian state television openly calls for attacking arms shipments on the territory of NATO countries before they reach Ukraine.

Guterres said he came as an "ambassador of peace, wanting to save lives and alleviate suffering."

There were "very open talks" with Lavrov, said the UN Secretary-General.

The sooner "the war" can be ended, Guterres said, the better it is for both Ukraine and Russia.

He was concerned about "possible war crimes," Guterres said, emphasizing the need, especially in the southeastern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, for humanitarian corridors for the civilian population to be truly effective.

Rare match

In view of Lavrov's complaints, Guterres emphasized that the UN Charter actually contains many mechanisms that can be chosen in the event of a conflict.

Despite this, it is not Ukrainian forces on Russian territory, but Russian forces on Ukrainian territory, the guest emphasized.

"That's right," Lavrov said in rare agreement with Guterres.

The foreign minister stated that he preferred a negotiated solution with Kyiv, but accused the opponents of not wanting to negotiate.

He rejected a proposal by Kiev to negotiate in Mariupol at the "Azovstal" steel plant, where the remains of Ukrainian defense forces and civilians are being held: It was a "theatrical gesture," Lavrov said.

“Ukrainians love to stage everything.

Apparently they still wanted to stage some heartbreaking scene.” According to Ukrainian sources, the Russian invasion destroyed around 90 percent of Mariupol and killed more than 20,000 civilians.