Zelensky rejected the visit of the UN Secretary General to kyiv due to his visit to Russia.
This is reported by the AFP.
At the BRICS summit, which took place in Kazan, Russia, on October 24, Guterres called for a “just peace” in Ukraine and addressed Putin about the need to end the war, which has lasted more than two years. The participation of the Secretary General in this diplomatic event, which brought together leaders from 20 countries, including Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi, caused discontent in kyiv.
According to a senior source in the Ukrainian presidential administration, Guterres was planning a trip to Ukraine after Kazan, but Zelensky did not confirm the visit, noting that such a decision was due to the disregard for common sense and international law demonstrated at the summit.
During his meeting with Putin, Guterres reiterated that “the Russian invasion of Ukraine violates the UN Charter and international norms,” according to a statement from the organization.
Ahead of the bilateral negotiations, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry criticized the Secretary General’s visit to Kazan, highlighting his absence from the peace summit hosted by Ukraine in Switzerland in June. The statement said it was “a wrong choice that does not promote peace and undermines the reputation of the UN.”
Recall that Kursor wrote that during the summit, Guterres met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The visit was the first in two years since Guterres avoided traveling to Russia since the outbreak of a full-scale war in Ukraine.
An interesting moment occurred when Russian President Vladimir Putin, concluding the Secretary General’s speech, compared the modern world to a big family, where disputes, conflicts and even fights can arise. However, Putin stressed that one of the main objectives of the BRICS countries is to create a “favorable atmosphere” for everyone. In addition, a photograph was published showing Guterres crouching during the summit to greet the Kremlin dictator.
