Wednesday 24 / April / 2024
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is set to meet separately with the presidents of Russia and Ukraine next week, the organization said on Friday.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov had said earlier in the day that Guterres was to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin next Tuesday.
Later, the UN said that Guterres would travel on to Kyiv on Thursday to see Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
UN spokesperson Eri Kaneko said that Guterres wanted to discuss "steps that can be taken right now" to stop fighting with Ukrainian and Russian officials.
"He will also meet with staff of UN agencies to discuss the scaling up of humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine," the UN said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Guterres had appealed for a four-day "humanitarian pause" leading up to Sunday's Orthodox Easter holiday but his call came to naught.
Ukraine's Zelenskyy claims Moscow plans to invade other countries
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address late on Friday that Russia plans on capturing countries other than Ukraine.
"All the nations that, like us, believe in the victory of life over death must fight with us. They must help us, because we are the first in line. And who will come next?" Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy's comments follow statements by Russian military commander Rustam Minnekayev, who said that Moscow plans to take control of the south of Ukraine and open a corridor to the Russian-occupied Trans-Dniester region of Moldova.
US plans to accuse Russia of 'using weapons of massive destruction,' says Russia
Russia's Defense Ministry has claimed without evidence that the United States is planning to accuse Russian Armed Forces of using chemical, biological or tactical nuclear weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Ukraine.
"This plan has already been developed and is a response to Russia's success in conducting a special military operation," said Igor Kirillov, head of the Russian Armed Forces' radiation, chemical and biological protection troops.
He claimed that western leaders had made several provocative statements in March and April this year, on the possibility of Russia using weapons of mass destruction on a regular basis.
Russia resumes bombardment of Azovstal steel works
Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleskiy Arestovych said Saturday that Russian forces resumed air strikes on the Azovstal steel works in Mariupol where Ukraine's remaining forces and an unknown number of civilians are holed up.
Arestovych said, "The enemy is trying to strangle the final resistance of the defenders of Mariupol in the Azovstal area."
On Thursday, Putin ordered Russian forces not to storm the steel works but rather seal the plant "so not even a fly comes through" to starve what remains of Ukraine's resistance in the besieged city.
Lviv region announces Orthodox Easter curfew
Maksym Kozytskyy, the regional governor of Lviv, announced a curfew starting on the night of Orthodox Easter, citing "new intelligence."
The curfew will begin at 11 p.m. on Saturday and go until 5 a.m. Sunday and continue every day between these hours until further notice.
Kozytskyy wrote, "Unfortunately, the enemy doesn't have such a concept as a major religious holiday. They are so beastly that they don't understand what Easter is."
He added church leadership supports the decision and said churches in the region would adjust their Easter night services to the morning hours.
