U.N. is ready to save lives in Mariupol, U.N chief tells Russia

FILE PHOTO: United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks during the 11th emergency special session of the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. February 28, 2022. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Russia's foreign minister on Tuesday that he is ready to fully mobilise the organisation's resources to save lives and evacuate people from the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

"Thousands of civilians are in dire need of lifesaving humanitarian assistance, and many have evacuated", Guterres told a news conference with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.