Zelensky rejects Guterres's visit after BRICS summit controversy
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has declined a visit to Kyiv by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, reports the BBC.
On Thursday, in a speech before Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kazan, Guterres called for a “just peace” in Ukraine to bring an end to the war. However, his participation in the BRICS summit sparked outrage in Kyiv.
"After Kazan, Guterres intended to come to Ukraine, but the president did not confirm the visit. Thus, Guterres will not be here, largely due to the disregard for common sense and international law shown in Kazan," a source told AFP.
During talks with Putin, Guterres reiterated that "the Russian invasion of Ukraine constitutes a violation of the UN Charter and international law," according to a press release from the organisation.
Previously, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticised Guterres's decision to visit Tatarstan’s capital, emphasising that he did not attend the Peace Summit held in Switzerland.
In June, according to Agerpres, Guterres declined Ukraine’s invitation to participate in the "peace summit" held in Switzerland, a conference not open to Russia and organised by Kyiv to garner international support for the terms under which Ukraine would accept a peace agreement with Russia.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
