A United Nations chief has said that peace talks are impossible in Ukraine because both Kiev and Moscow are convinced that they will win the war. According to Antonio Guterres, this means neither side is willing to compromise.

According to a report by RT, in an interview published on Monday, Guterres said: “Unfortunately, I believe that peace negotiations are not possible at this time.” He explained that Russia seems unwilling “at the moment to withdraw from the territories it occupies” while “Ukraine is hoping to retake them” by force. He added that the UN is doing all it can to get Kiev and Moscow to negotiate in the current circumstances. He cited the grain deal, whose future is currently hanging in balance as Russia is refusing to renew it past May 18,  as the “most important initiative” so far.

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Guterres claimed that high-ranking representatives are attempting to arrange a meeting of the parties involved in Istanbul to extend the grain deal. The official acknowledged that Moscow’s objections are justified, adding that while the export of food and fertilizers from the country is not under sanctions, it is effectively being blocked by “indirect obstacles that remain.”

Speaking to Türkiye’s Haberturk TV on Sunday, Ibrahim Kalin, a top Turkish presidential adviser on foreign policy, opined that, “This war will not end with positional gains, but with a new security agreement between the two global blocs.” He argued that the current conflict is effectively a conflict between Russia and the collective West, which echoes Moscow’s position. –RT

“This war is not between Russia and Ukraine, but between Russia and the Western bloc. Cold War 2.0,” Kalin explained. The Turkish official noted, however, that at present there is little chance for dialogue as the current “international climate is in favor of war rather than peace.”

On Sunday, Former United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger told CBS News that the conflict in Ukraine may be approaching a turning point. Kissinger predicted that peace talks under the auspices of China could take place by the end of 2023.

The European Union and the U.S. were quick to disregard a twelve-point peace plan proposed by Beijing on the anniversary of the conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed some of the elements of the document, while Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky also agreed with some of its points. However, Zelensky remains determined to maintain the position of not negotiating with Putin and the Russian ruling class.