Reuters,
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has rejected a plan for the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to visit Kyiv due to Guterres’ attendance at this week’s BRICS summit in Russia, a Ukrainian official said on Friday.
Kyiv was enraged by Guterres’ appearance at the event in the city of Kazan on Thursday and his handshake with its host, Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose forces invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
Guterres, who called for a “just peace” in Ukraine at the BRICS event and has repeatedly condemned the invasion, discussed a visit to Ukraine with Zelenskiy when they met in New York last month, UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, right, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrive to make a joint statement following their meeting in Kyiv on March 8 last year.
Photo: AFP
Since then, the UN and Ukraine have been trying to work out a “mutually convenient time” for a visit, but nothing had been decided, Haq said.
The Ukrainian official, who asked not to be named, said Zelenskiy had now rejected the visit because of the BRICS appearance, without going into further detail.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday said that Guterres’ acceptance of the invitation to attend the BRICS summit had damaged the UN’s reputation.
Zelenskiy condemned the decision to turn up.
“Even though some of its officials may choose the temptations of Kazan over the substance of the UN Charter, the world remains structured in such a way that the rights of nations and the norms of international law will always matter,” he said on Thursday.
Russia’s invasion has displaced millions of people, killed thousands, and destroyed settlements and energy infrastructure.
The BRICS summit, which started on Tuesday, was aimed at showcasing the clout of non-Western countries. Other leaders attending included Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
