Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pose for a picture before a meeting, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine August 18, 2022.Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pose for a picture before a meeting, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine August 18, 2022.
NATO member Turkey has maintained good relations with Russia, an important trade partner, and sought to mediate in the six-month-old conflict. “Personally, I maintain my belief that the war will ultimately end at the negotiating table.There was no immediate comment from Moscow. Also on Thursday, at least four explosions hit near a major Russian military airport on the Moscow-controlled Crimean peninsula, three local sources said.
“The facility must not be used as part of any military operation. Instead, agreement is urgently needed to re-establish Zaporizhzhia’s purely civilian infrastructure and to ensure the safety of the area,” Guterres said. Recent days have seen several incidents of shelling at the plant, which both sides blame on each other.
“Russia should immediately and unconditionally withdraw its forces from the territory of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, as well as stopping any provocations and shelling,” he said.Moscow says its aim in Ukraine is to demilitarise the country and protect Russian-speakers on land that Russian President Vladimir Putin says historically belongs to Russia.