MOSCOW: During a visit to Moscow on Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was searching for methods to bring the violence in Ukraine to a halt as soon as feasible.

“We are extremely interested in finding ways in order to create the conditions for effective dialogue, create the conditions for a ceasefire as soon as possible, create the conditions for a peaceful solution,” Guterres said before meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Guterres was in Moscow for the first time since Russia launched soldiers into Ukraine on February 24, and he was scheduled to see Putin following Lavrov.

“I know that we have… different interpretations about what’s happening in Ukraine,” he said.

“That does not limit the possibility to have a very serious dialogue on how best we can work to minimise the suffering of people.”

Guterres was scheduled to go from Moscow to Kyiv, where President Volodymyr Zelensky has slammed Guterres’ choice to visit Russia before visiting Ukraine as “just unacceptable.”

Guterres has repeatedly advocated a ceasefire, accusing Russia of breaching the UN charter by deploying soldiers into Ukraine.

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