UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposed the creation of a UN-Russia-Ukraine contact group to address humanitarian issues in Ukraine, in particular, to organize safe humanitarian corridors. He announced this at a press conference following a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow..

" To this end, I proposed the creation of a contact group on humanitarian issues that would bring the UN, Russia and Ukraine together to look for opportunities, open safe corridors with local ceasefires to ensure that these corridors are effective,"

He also commented on the situation in Mariupol, noting that the world is facing a " "

He suggested coordinating work to ensure the safe evacuation of Mariupol residents, both from the city and from the Azovstal plant..

" I proposed to coordinate the work of the UN, the International Red Cross, Ukraine and Russia in order to ensure the safe evacuation of civilians who want to leave, both at the Azovstal plant and in the city, in any direction they choose, as well as deliver.

Recall that after the visit to Moscow, the UN Secretary-General will visit Kyiv. In addition to meeting with officials, he will discuss the expansion of humanitarian assistance with staff from UN agencies..

Before Guterres' trip to Russia, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke with him. The latter, in particular, stressed the need to ensure a ceasefire and the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol and Kherson..