Antonio Guterres, U.N. Secretary General, reiterated Friday his call for an immediate halt in violence on the 100th anniversary of the war in Ukraine.

The U.N. chief called for immediate protection of civilians, unrestricted access to humanitarian aid for them and safe evacuation for those who are trapped in conflict zones.

Guterres stated in a Friday statement that the conflict had already claimed thousands of lives, caused immense destruction, and displaced millions of people.

He stated that the United Nations has supported the Ukrainian people since the beginning of the war to help them deal with the humanitarian consequences of it. However, the UN also draws attention to the long-term dangers of continuing fighting and potential escalation in hostilities for the region, the country and the entire world.

The secretary-general stated that the U.N. is committed to humanitarian efforts, but "as I have stressed since the beginning, resolving the conflict will require negotiation and dialogue."

Guterres stated that "the sooner the parties engage with good-faith diplomacy to end the war, the better it will be for Ukraine, Russia, and the rest of the world."

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE WORLD WAR:

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Analysts believe Russia could be in Ukraine after 100 days of war

-- AP PHOTOS - Russian malls are half empty after Western companies leave

-- Russia-Ukraine war by numbers at 100 days

-- US and Allies: Russia must be held accountable for the crimes committed in Ukraine

Thanks to Hungary's Orban, Russian Orthodox leader evades EU sanctions

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Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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AUTOTHER DEVELOPMENTS

UNITED NATIONS -- Friday's statement by the United Nations said that Martin Griffiths, humanitarian chief, had held "frank and constructive talks" with Russian officials in order to broker a deal on agricultural imports amid an escalating crisis.

Stephane Dujarric, U.N. spokesperson, stated that Griffiths met with officials from the ministries of defense and foreign affairs on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss ways to improve the export of grain from the Black Sea ports of Ukraine to international markets.

Rebeca Grynspan (the secretary-general U.N. Conference on Trade and Development), visited Moscow Monday to meet with him. She is focused on bringing Russian fertilizer and grains to global markets.

Dujarric stated Friday that he had received a lot positive comments from different capitols.

He said that "there are many moving parts in this puzzle". He was unable to confirm reports about a meeting in Istanbul between Sergey Lavrov and Turkey's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov.