UN Secretary-General arrives in Russia for BRICS summit

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has arrived in Kazan in Russia on an unannounced visit on the first day of the three-day BRICS summit. 

Source: Voice of America, Radio Liberty

Details: Earlier, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry criticised the idea of such a visit: "The UN Secretary-General rejected Ukraine's invitation to the first Global Peace Summit in Switzerland. However, he has accepted an invitation to Kazan from war criminal Putin. This is a bad choice that does not contribute to the cause of peace. All it does is damage the reputation of the UN."

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis also joined the criticism of this step on X (Twitter) by saying: "This is unacceptable." 

Russian ruler Vladimir Putin will meet with Guterres on the last day of the BRICS summit, but on the sidelines of the event. This was announced to journalists by Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov.

Quote from Radio Liberty: "Despite the Putin-Guterres meeting, scheduled to take place on 24 October, there is no indication that either Kyiv or Moscow is ready for broader peace talks to end the conflict."

Details: The Radio Liberty report reiterates that earlier, Guterres had constantly criticised Russia's actions, saying that Moscow's ongoing military operation in Ukraine sets a "dangerous precedent" for the world. The UN chief has repeatedly called for a just peace that respects international law and the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

During a meeting with Putin in April 2022, two months after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, Guterres reiterated the UN's position and discussed proposals for humanitarian aid and the evacuation of civilians from the conflict zones.

Background:

• Putin is hosting allies from BRICS countries in Kazan, with 22 leaders in attendance. The White House says it does not consider the grouping a "threat".
• The BRICS summit is scheduled to take place from 22 to 24 October in the Russian city of Kazan.
• The informal BRICS grouping was named after the first letters of the member states – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Last year, they were joined by Iran, the UAE, Ethiopia and Egypt.
• The BRICS is considered a geopolitical opponent of the G7 and Western financial institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF.
• Recently, Türkiye has also started the process of joining the BRICS group by submitting a request for accession.

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