While few world leaders have been in much of a mood to talk to Vladimir Putin in the midst of his invasion of Ukraine, the U.N. Secretary-General apparently didn’t have any such qualms. He traveled to Moscow to speak with Mad Vlad in person. As a result, he claims that an agreement has been reached for the safe evacuation of Ukrainian civilians from Mariupol. There are currently thousands of people holed up in a steel mill in the city, one of the last spots that haven’t been overrun by the Russian invaders. It’s believed that up to 3,000 soldiers and civilians remain inside. Of course, the Russian army has made such agreements regarding evacuation corridors in the past, only to turn around and begin shelling the evacuees when they tried to make their way out of the combat zone. Questions obviously remain as to whether Putin will keep his word or if he even has the ability to control the actions of his troops on a day-to-day basis.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Russian President Vladimir Putin met one-on-one Tuesday for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the United Nations said they agreed on arranging evacuations from a besieged steel plant in the battered city of Mariupol.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the Russian leader and U.N. chief discussed “proposals for humanitarian assistance and evacuation of civilians from conflict zones, namely in relation to the situation in Mariupol.”