With the start of his second term as UN Secretary-General on Thursday, António Guterres said the world is worse in many ways than it was five years ago because of the COVID-19 epidemic, the climate crisis and the geopolitical tensions that have driven conflicts everywhere.

But, unlike US President Joe Biden, he believes Russia will not invade Ukraine.

Guterres added in an interview with the Associated Press that he published the appeal for peace on his first day in office at the UN on January 1, 2017, and his priorities in his first term, to try to prevent conflicts, tackle world inequality, the COVID-19 crisis and global warming , Have not changed…

Guterres said, "The UN secretary general has no authority… maybe we have influence. I can persuade. I can mediate, but I have no authority."

Before becoming UN Secretary-General, Guterres said he envisioned the role as "organizing, mediating, building bridges and a straight side that will help find solutions that will benefit all concerned." These are things I "must do every day," he added.

For example, the secretary general said this week that he spoke with the African Union envoy Olusagon Obsenjo, twice with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, and once with Ethiopian Prime Minister Avi Ahmad, in an attempt to stop the hostilities in Ethiopia between the government and forces in the besieged Tigray region.

"I hope we will be in a position where hostilities can soon be stopped, and that is where I focus most of my efforts," Guterres added.

As another example, Guterres said he also made a phone call to try to persuade Mali's army commanders, who recently postponed the elections, scheduled for next month, until 2026, to reduce the schedule.

He explained that he had talked to Mali's military ruler, President Asimi Guetta, three presidents of the 15-nation West African Economic Community (ECOWAS), Algeria's prime minister and African Union leader on "how to make sure that in Mali, there is an acceptable timetable for moving to a government Civilian. "

Guterres believes the election should take place within a "relatively short period of time."

"I have made all my efforts in creating the conditions to end this dispute and allow the economic community of the West African countries and the Mali government to reach a solution regarding the postponement of the elections according to an acceptable schedule," he said.

Guterres stressed that the UN Security Council, which has the power to maintain international peace and security, including by imposing sanctions and ordering military action, is divided, especially its five permanent members with veto power. Russia and China often operate in opposition to the US, UK and France On key issues, including Thursday on new sanctions against North Korea.

On the question of each country's priority now - will Russia, which has deployed 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border, invade the former Soviet republic? Guterres said: "I do not think Russia will invade Ukraine, and I hope my belief is correct."