Erdogan and Guterres meet Zelenskyy in Lviv

Erdogan and Guterres meet Zelenskyy in Lviv

UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Lviv on Thursday. For the United Nations and Turkey, it is an attempt to explore a negotiated solution nearly six months after the Russian attack on Ukraine. In addition, the situation of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, occupied by Russian troops, must also be discussed.

As a successful mediation in the war, the UN and Turkey have the agreement that allowed the export of grain from Ukrainian ports again since early August. Ahead of the meeting, Erdogan announced that the “end of the war between Ukraine and Russia must be discussed through diplomatic channels” in Lviv.

Before the meeting, the Ukrainian president again demanded the unconditional withdrawal of the Russians from the Zaporizhia nuclear plant.  - © afp / Ozan Kose, Ludovic Marin, Philip Fong

Before the meeting, the Ukrainian president again demanded the unconditional withdrawal of the Russians from the Zaporizhia nuclear plant.

– © afp / Ozan Kose, Ludovic Marin, Philip Fong

First publicly announced trip

UN circles are more skeptical about this. They believe that negotiations on a ceasefire will only be possible when Russia or Ukraine can no longer gain ground and refrain from aiming for victory. However, Ukraine wants to reconquer lost territories so as not to expose its compatriots to the arbitrariness of the Russian occupation. Ukrainian military expert Oleh Zhdanov has warned Zelenskyy that agreeing to a ceasefire is now a Russian trap. Russia’s war aims continue to boil down to the extensive subjugation of Ukraine. Talks between Kyiv and Moscow had already broken down in the first weeks of the war without any results.

For Zelenskyy, the trip to western Ukraine for Lviv is the first publicly announced trip since February 24. Since then, he has been to Ukraine several times and has also visited the front, but travel plans have been kept secret. International guests welcomed Zelenskyy in the capital Kyiv.

The tug-of-war over an expert visit to the nuclear plant continues

In the case of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, it is about the possibilities of an international mission of experts. On Wednesday night, Zelenskyy again called for Russian soldiers to be withdrawn from Europe’s biggest nuclear plant. The tug of war over an expert visit continues between the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Russia and Ukraine. Moscow diplomats said on Wednesday that Russia supported the visit. However, the Russian side assumes that IAEA experts will travel to Ukraine via Russia and Russian-controlled territory. A trip through Kyiv is very dangerous.

For reasons of international law, the IAEA and its director Rafael Grossi value travel via Kyiv. They are supported by over 40 western countries. The situation at Europe’s biggest nuclear plant, occupied by Russian troops, has been worrying the international community for weeks. Shells continue to fall at the power plant site, with the two warring factions blaming each other for the bombing. Also on Wednesday, the Russian occupation administration twice reported on the alleged Ukrainian bombing of the nuclear plant. (pa/dpa)