SG/T/3346

Activities of Secretary-General in Ukraine, 6-9 March

Secretary-General António Guterres departed New York on Monday, 6 March, en route to Ukraine via Poland.  He arrived in Kyiv very early on Wednesday morning to begin his third visit to Ukraine in the past year.

On Wednesday, he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, and afterwards, at a press encounter, he told reporters that his third visit to Ukraine in less than a year was to show the United Nations full commitment and to seek solutions.

The Secretary-General expressed his deep solidarity with all the victims of the war, adding that they are all owed effective accountability.

He reiterated his position that the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine is a violation of the United Nations Charter and international law.   He added that our ultimate objective is equally clear:  A just peace based on the United Nations Charter, international law and the recent General Assembly resolution marking one year since the start of the war.

Mr. Guterres underscored the critical importance of the rollover of the Black Sea Grain Initiative on 18 March, and of working to create the conditions to enable the greatest possible use of export infrastructures through the Black Sea, in line with the objectives of the initiative.

He noted that the Black Sea Grain Initiative, agreed in July 2022 in Istanbul, has provided for the export of 23 million tons of grain from Ukrainian ports.  It has also contributed to lowering the global cost of food and has offered critical relief to people who are also paying a high price for this war, particularly in the developing world.

He added that safety and security around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is also vital.  The Secretary-General said that a possible mediation to seek the full demilitarization of the area, while ensuring that the plant can return to normal operations, would also be important.

At the meeting, the Secretary-General was accompanied by Rebeca Grynspan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Martin Griffiths, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, and Denise Brown, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine.

The Secretary-General departed Ukraine for New York — via Poland — on Wednesday afternoon.  He arrived in New York on Thursday at noon.

For information media. Not an official record.