The Heat: Push for peace talks in Ukraine

The Heat

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the Kremlin in Moscow on April 26, 2022. (Photo by Vladimir ASTAPKOVICH / SPUTNIK / AFP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin is hopeful that talks with Ukraine will yield positive results. On Tuesday, he met with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in Moscow.

Guterres was criticized by Ukrainian leaders for going to Russia first – he will visit Kyiv on Thursday. Earlier, Guterres met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who commented on the Ukrainian suggestion of peace talks in the embattled city of Mariupol.

Despite all the diplomatic movement, Andrey Kortunov, the Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council, said that we should not expect any breakthrough. He thinks the situation is not ready for compromise. I spoke with Andrey earlier and started by asking what Russia’s goal in Ukraine is.

To discuss:

  • Andrij Dobriansky is head of UN Affairs at the Ukrainian World Congress.
  • Anton Fedyashin is a professor of history at American University.
  • Eugene Chausovsky is a geopolitical analyst.

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