Ukraine blasts UN’s Guterres over invitation to Brics summit in Russia

KYIV – Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry blasted UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Oct 21 for what it said was his acceptance of an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to a Brics summit, while staying away from a “peace summit” on the war in Ukraine.

“The UN Secretary-General declined Ukraine’s invitation to the first Global Peace Summit in Switzerland,” the ministry said in a post on the X social media platform.

“He did, however, accept the invitation to Kazan from war criminal Putin. This is a wrong choice that does not advance the cause of peace. It only damages the UN’s reputation.”

Mr Putin is hosting a summit of Brics nations in the central Russian city of Kazan from Oct 22, aimed at showcasing the clout of non-Western countries.

Leaders attending include Chinese President Xi Jinping and

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman earlier in October said Mr Guterres had told Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the UN General Assembly in September that he intended to go to Kazan.

But a UN spokesperson, when asked on Oct 21 if Mr Guterres would attend, said: “Announcements on his future travels will be later on down the line.”

The peace summit in a Swiss mountain resort in June

, which brought together more than 90 countries, denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and sought a way to end the conflict, though Russia was not invited and dismissed it as meaningless.

Ukrainian President Voldoymyr Zelensky says

he wants to stage a second summit

by the end of 2025, but Russia has said it has no intention of attending.

Mr Guterres said at the time he would not attend the Swiss-organised meeting, though the UN was represented. REUTERS