Guterres draws ire with Russia visit amid Ukraine tensions
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, declined to host UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Kyiv. This decision followed Guterres' meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan.
According to the Ukrainian administration, Guterres' visit to Kazan was seen as a "slap in the face of common sense and international law".
Shocking behaviour of the UN Secretary-General
Guterres' spokesperson emphasized that during the meeting with Putin, the UN Secretary-General reiterated the stance that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a violation of international law. Nevertheless, according to a Ukrainian official quoted by AFP, the very fact of Guterres' visit to Kazan undermined the UN's credibility.
The Ukrainian coalition of non-governmental organizations also criticized Guterres. In a statement released to the media, activists emphasized that Putin is under an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court. According to them, the UN chief's meeting with the Russian president undermines the credibility of ICC decisions and investigations into the most serious crimes.
Lithuanian politicians also harshly criticized Guterres. Lithuania's Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, stated that the UN chief must acknowledge this mistake and take responsibility for his decisions, both regarding his absence from the peace summit in Switzerland and his visit to Putin.
Guterres rejected Ukraine's invitation
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that Guterres turned down Ukraine's invitation to the first Global Peace Summit in Switzerland. Instead, he accepted the invitation to Kazan from Russian President Putin, which, according to the ministry, harms the UN's reputation.
The unexpected presence of the UN Secretary-General at the BRICS summit has been contentious from the beginning. The controversy was intensified by photos and recordings from the summit published by Kremlin and Belarusian news agencies. They showed Guterres warmly greeting Vladimir Putin and sharing affectionate hugs with Alexander Lukashenko.
