Zelenskyy rejects U.N. chief’s visit to Kyiv over Russia trip

At the BRICS summit hosted by Russia in the city of Kazan, Antonio Guterres pleaded for “just peace” in Ukraine, calling in a speech in front of Russian President Vladimir Putin for an end to more than two years of fighting

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected a visit to Ukraine by Antonio Guterres over the U.N. chief’s participation in a summit hosted in Russia, a high-ranking source in the Ukrainian presidency said on Friday (October 25, 2024).

At the BRICS summit hosted by Russia in the city of Kazan, Mr. Guterres pleaded on Thursday (October 24, 2024) for “just peace” in Ukraine, calling in a speech in front of Russian President Vladimir Putin for an end to more than two years of fighting.

But his participation at the meeting of 20 global leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi — the largest diplomatic event in Russia since Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022 — sparked ire in Kyiv.

“After Kazan, [Guterres] wanted to come to Ukraine, but the president did not confirm his visit. So Guterres won’t be here, specifically because of the humiliation of sanity and international law in Kazan,” the source said.

During talks with Mr. Putin in Kazan, Mr. Guterres reiterated that the “Russian invasion of Ukraine was in violation of the U.N. Charter and international law,” according to a U.N. statement.

Mr. Guterres had also emphasized his commitment to “establishing freedom of navigation in the Black Sea,” saying the move was vital for both Ukraine and Russia, as well as global “food and energy security.”

‘Wrong choice’

Ahead of those bilateral talks, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry criticised the decision from Mr. Guterres to visit Kazan and pointed out he had not attended a peace summit hosted by Ukraine in Switzerland in June.

“This is a wrong choice that does not advance the cause of peace. It only damages the U.N.’s reputation,” the statement read.

Published - October 26, 2024 12:00 pm IST