UN Secretary-General António Guterres found himself at the center of a diplomatic scandal after arriving in Russia to participate in the BRICS summit.
Guterres traveled to Russia to attend the BRICS summit, where a meeting with Russian dictator Volodymyr Putin was scheduled.
This was reported by Russian propaganda media.
In Kazan, Russians welcomed the UN Secretary-General António Guterres with "bread and salt." A photo surfaced online showing him eagerly sampling a loaf offered by the occupiers.
According to Russian media, Kremlin dictator Volodymyr Putin is expected to meet with the high-ranking guest on the last day of the BRICS summit, October 24. The agenda of their conversation remains unknown.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the UN Secretary-General's visit to the aggressor country, emphasizing that this move damages the reputation of the organization.
"The UN Secretary-General declined Ukraine’s invitation to the first Global Peace Summit in Switzerland. Instead, he accepted an invitation to Kazan from war criminal Putin. This is the wrong choice, and it does not contribute to the cause of peace. It only harms the UN's reputation," the statement reads.
The UN, however, attempted to justify Guterres' visit, stressing that it was a "standard practice." They insisted that his stance on Russia’s war against Ukraine remains unchanged.
"The Secretary-General is attending the BRICS summit, as he has done before in South Africa, because it is standard practice to participate in meetings of organizations with a large number of significant member states, such as the G7 and G20," said Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General.
He added that "this meeting is important for the UN's work with BRICS countries, which represent about half of the world’s population." Haq also noted that Guterres "looks forward to meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a mutually convenient time, as agreed in September."
"As for your question about the meeting with Putin, the Secretary-General will reaffirm his well-known position regarding the war in Ukraine and the conditions for a just peace based on the UN Charter, international law, and UN resolutions," the UN Deputy Spokesperson stated.
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