Zelenskyy rejects UN Secretary-General's visit to Kyiv
Photo: UN Secretary-General António Guterres and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declined UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ visit to Ukraine over his participation in the BRICS summit held on Russian territory, reports AFP.
RBC-Ukraine sources in the Office of the President confirmed this information.
At the BRICS summit organized by Russia in Kazan on Oct. 22-24, Guterres called for a "just peace" in Ukraine and urged an end to the over-two-year-long war in his speech addressed to Vladimir Putin.
His participation in the meeting with 20 world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi - the largest diplomatic event in Russia since Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022 - provoked anger in Kyiv.
“After Kazan, (Guterres) wanted to visit Ukraine, but the president did not confirm his visit. Therefore, Guterres will not be here, partly due to the disregard for common sense and international law seen in Kazan,” said a senior source in the Ukrainian president's administration.
During talks with Putin in Kazan, Guterres reiterated that the "Russian invasion of Ukraine was in violation of the United Nations Charter and international law," according to a UN statement.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry criticized Guterres’ decision to visit Kazan, pointing out that he did not attend a peace summit organized by Ukraine in Switzerland in June. “This is a wrong choice that does not advance the cause of peace. It only harms the UN’s reputation,” the statement said.
In early October, Guterres was declared persona non grata in Israel. According to Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he is banned from entering the country because he "supports terrorists, rapists and murderers from Hamas."
BRICS summit
BRICS is an association of the largest, most populous developing countries. It includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, among others.
A BRICS leaders' summit took place in Kazan, and a large number of Global South representatives were also invited. Attendees included UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Ukrainians view the members of this association as allies of Putin and have a negative attitude toward four of the five countries (except Brazil). Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva did not attend the Kazan summit.
