KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected a visit from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after Guterres travelled to Russia to attend BRICS summit, a high-ranking source in the Ukrainian presidency told AFP on Friday.
At the BRICS summit held in Kazan, Guterres called for a “just peace” in Ukraine during a speech in front of Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging an end to the ongoing conflict that has persisted for over two years. However, his attendance at this significant diplomatic event, which included leaders such as Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has drawn criticism from Kyiv.
The source stated, “After Kazan, Guterres wanted to come to Ukraine, but the president did not confirm his visit. Guterres won’t be here due to the humiliation of sanity and international law in Kazan.”
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During his meeting with Putin, Guterres reiterated that the “Russian invasion of Ukraine was in violation of the United Nations Charter and international law,” as noted in a UN statement.
The Ukrainian foreign ministry had previously condemned Guterres’ decision to attend the Kazan summit, highlighting his absence from a peace summit hosted by Ukraine in Switzerland in June.
The statement read, “This is a wrong choice that does not advance the cause of peace; it only damages the UN’s reputation.”
