Chances for Peace in Ukraine Minimal, Says UN Sec-Gen Guterres

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed pessimism about the situation in Ukraine, saying the prospects for peace in country are “minimal” at present. Guterres expressed pessimism at a press conference on Wednesday, after he held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss efforts to overcome “obstacles” related to Russia’s food and fertilizer exports through Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. He warned that it would be “naive” to believe there had been sufficient progress toward a rapid end to the war in Ukraine, stressing that the ongoing conflict was not only devastating that country but also dragging down the…