KAZAN: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for a “just peace” in Ukraine, urging an end to the ongoing war during a speech at a BRICS summit in Russia, hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking at a BRICS summit in Kazan, Guterres also appealed for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon amid escalating conflicts in the Middle East.
In his first visit to Russia since April 2022, Guterres addressed world leaders at the BRICS summit, a forum that Russia hopes will unite emerging economies against Western influence. He reiterated the importance of adhering to the UN Charter, emphasizing respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the political independence of all states.
“We need peace in Ukraine. A just peace, in line with the UN Charter and international law,” Guterres told the summit, while stressing the need to uphold the UN General Assembly’s resolution on Ukraine.
Putin, in his address, reiterated that Russia cannot be defeated on the battlefield, dismissing Western hopes of achieving a strategic victory over Russia as “illusionary.”
“The aim of our adversaries is to deal a strategic defeat to Russia, but these are unrealistic calculations,” Putin said.
Guterres and Putin were set to hold direct talks later on Thursday, their first meeting since Russia’s 2022 siege of Mariupol. The two leaders are expected to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine and potential avenues for peace.
While Guterres has been a vocal critic of Russia’s military actions, including its annexation of Ukrainian territories, his willingness to meet Putin has drawn criticism from Kyiv, which referred to the meeting as “engaging with a criminal.”
Meanwhile, US concerns are growing over reports of North Korean troops being sent to Russia. A senior US official claimed that thousands of North Korean soldiers had been deployed to Russia. Russia’s foreign ministry has remained tight-lipped, advising reporters to “ask Pyongyang.”
Russia’s parliament approved a budget on Thursday that significantly increases defense spending by nearly 30 percent.
