President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is ready for immediate negotiations to evacuate people from Mariupol and counts on the effective support of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the implementation of this mission.

Zelensky stated this at a press conference following a meeting with the Secretary General, at which, in particular, the issue of rescuing Ukrainian citizens from the city itself and the Azovstal plant was discussed..

" And this continued even during the talks of Mr. Secretary General in Moscow,"

He expressed hope that with the participation of Guterres, Ukraine will be able to return people from Mariupol alive.. The UN Secretary General, for his part, assured that he was doing everything possible for this.

" We will continue to call for a complete ceasefire as well as immediate practical action to save lives and minimize human suffering.. Effective humanitarian corridors, local stoppage of hostilities, safe routes for civilians and victims. Today, the residents of Mariupol need just such a step,"

He recalled that thousands of civilians in the city needed vital assistance: the elderly, the sick, people with limited mobility.. “They need a rescue route to leave this hell,” said the UN Secretary General.

According to him, during his recent visit to Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin " Guterres noted that now "

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also called on the Secretary General to make efforts to stop the forced export of Ukrainians to the Russian Federation and to help in gaining access to the deported people and their speedy return to Ukraine.

Also today, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the organization must do everything to prevent nuclear war..