<p>UN chief Antonio Guterres said Monday he was pessimistic that Russia's war in Ukraine would end soon but he hoped it would be over by the end of next year.</p>.<p>"I am not optimistic about the possibility of effective peace talks in the immediate future," he told reporters during his annual end-of-year press conference in New York.</p>.<p>It is ten months since Russia invaded its neighbor in late February.</p>.<p>On Monday, Russia launched a swarm of attack drones at critical infrastructure in Kyiv as the war showed no signs of relenting.</p>.<p>"I do believe that the military confrontation will go on," the United Nations secretary-general said at the world body's headquarters.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/putin-says-situation-extremely-difficult-in-several-ukrainian-regions-1173363.html" target="_blank">Putin says situation extremely difficult in several Ukrainian regions</a></strong></p>.<p>"I think we will have still to wait (for) a moment in which serious negotiations for peace will be possible. I don't see them in the immediate horizon," he added.</p>.<p>After several rounds of peace talks between delegations early in the conflict, negotiations quickly stalled.</p>.<p>Ukraine has said Russia would need to completely remove its forces for talks to take place.</p>.<p>Last month, a top Ukrainian official said any discussions not based on Ukraine's internationally recognized borders are "not acceptable."</p>.<p>Guterres said he "strongly" hoped that peace could be reached in 2023.</p>.<p>He cited "the consequences" for Ukraine's people, Russian society and the global economy, which is battling high food and energy prices as a result of the war, if a deal is not found.</p>.<p>"All these are reasons for us to do everything possible to make a peace solution happen before the end of 2023," Guterres said.</p>.<p>Over the course of an hour, Guterres answered questions on a host of subjects, including on peace in the Middle East, North Korean missiles and the dire situation in Mali.</p>.<p>He described the Iranian regime's crackdown of women-led protests as "totally unacceptable."</p>.<p>"We are witnessing massive violations of human rights that we strongly condemn," Guterres said.</p>
<p>UN chief Antonio Guterres said Monday he was pessimistic that Russia's war in Ukraine would end soon but he hoped it would be over by the end of next year.</p>.<p>"I am not optimistic about the possibility of effective peace talks in the immediate future," he told reporters during his annual end-of-year press conference in New York.</p>.<p>It is ten months since Russia invaded its neighbor in late February.</p>.<p>On Monday, Russia launched a swarm of attack drones at critical infrastructure in Kyiv as the war showed no signs of relenting.</p>.<p>"I do believe that the military confrontation will go on," the United Nations secretary-general said at the world body's headquarters.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/putin-says-situation-extremely-difficult-in-several-ukrainian-regions-1173363.html" target="_blank">Putin says situation extremely difficult in several Ukrainian regions</a></strong></p>.<p>"I think we will have still to wait (for) a moment in which serious negotiations for peace will be possible. I don't see them in the immediate horizon," he added.</p>.<p>After several rounds of peace talks between delegations early in the conflict, negotiations quickly stalled.</p>.<p>Ukraine has said Russia would need to completely remove its forces for talks to take place.</p>.<p>Last month, a top Ukrainian official said any discussions not based on Ukraine's internationally recognized borders are "not acceptable."</p>.<p>Guterres said he "strongly" hoped that peace could be reached in 2023.</p>.<p>He cited "the consequences" for Ukraine's people, Russian society and the global economy, which is battling high food and energy prices as a result of the war, if a deal is not found.</p>.<p>"All these are reasons for us to do everything possible to make a peace solution happen before the end of 2023," Guterres said.</p>.<p>Over the course of an hour, Guterres answered questions on a host of subjects, including on peace in the Middle East, North Korean missiles and the dire situation in Mali.</p>.<p>He described the Iranian regime's crackdown of women-led protests as "totally unacceptable."</p>.<p>"We are witnessing massive violations of human rights that we strongly condemn," Guterres said.</p>