The chances of peace in Ukraine are “minimal at this stage,” the UN secretary-general said on Wednesday after a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom he also discussed Russian food and fertilizer exports.
“I have the feeling that we are very far from peace. I would be lying if I said that it could happen soon,” Antonio Guterres said at a press conference.
“I have no illusions, at this point the chances of a peace agreement are minimal,” he insisted, noting that not even a ceasefire “is in sight.” “I continue my contacts with both parties and I hope that one day it will be possible to move towards a higher level discussion.”
Towards a new agreement on grain exports?
In the meantime, the Secretary General is continuing discussions on the export of Russian foodstuffs and fertilizers.
He discussed with Vladimir Putin the possible “extension and expansion” of the July 22 agreement on grain exports from Ukraine, which is scheduled to last 120 days.
On July 22, two agreements were signed under the auspices of the UN to allow, on the one hand, Ukrainian grain exports blocked by the war and, on the other, Russian food and fertilizer exports.
While the first deal took nearly 3 million tons of grain out of Ukraine, Russia says its own food and fertilizer exports continue to suffer from Western sanctions against Moscow for its military intervention in Ukraine.
“There are Russian food and fertilizer exports, but at a much lower level than desired and necessary,” Antonio Guterres acknowledged Wednesday, noting that he had discussed with Vladimir Putin “the obstacles that still exist” for these exports.
The fertilizer situation is “dramatic”
“There are discussions about the possibility of Russia exporting ammonia through the Black Sea,” he said. Ammonia, which is used to produce nitrogenous fertilizers, is produced by combining nitrogen from the air and hydrogen from natural gas. Several European fertilizer manufacturers have stopped production due to rising gas prices.
“The situation of fertilizers in the world is dramatic,” insisted Antonio Guterres, repeating his fear of a lack of food in the world in 2023.
He also said that he discussed with Vladimir Putin the issue of prisoners of war and the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
Source: BFM TV
