Some two months after the start of the war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to receive UN Secretary General António Guterres in Moscow on Tuesday.
The pair's Kremlin meeting is likely to focus on a greater diplomatic role for the United Nations in ending the war in Ukraine, as well as on UN humanitarian access and safe corridors for civilians, particularly from the besieged port city of Mariupol.
The 72-year-old UN chief plans first to speak with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov around noon on Tuesday.
A press conference is then due to follow, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Afterwards, Guterres plans to meet with Putin in the Kremlin.
Meeting with Zelensky
After his visit to Russia, the UN secretary general is due to travel via Poland to Ukraine, where he plans to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday.
Recently, pressure has grown on Guterres to take a more active role in ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
