Zelensky snubs UN chief Guterres after his Russia trip

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected a visit from UN Secretary General António Guterres following Guterres’ attendance at a Brics summit in Kazan, Russia, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to a source from Zelensky’s office, it would be “strange” to welcome Guterres to Ukraine after he spent UN Day in Russia, a country that has waged war on Ukraine since 2022.

Guterres used the summit to call for a “just peace” in Ukraine, emphasizing that Russia’s invasion violates the UN Charter. However, his decision to attend the Russia-hosted event caused dismay in Ukraine, where officials have been critical of what they perceive as a lack of strong condemnation of Russia by the UN. Before the Kazan visit, Ukraine’s foreign ministry labeled Guterres’ choice to attend as damaging to the UN’s reputation.

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They pointed out that he had turned down an invitation to a Global Peace Summit organised by Ukraine in Switzerland in June, where more than 90 nations condemned Russia’s aggression and proposed steps toward peace.

Russia dismissed the Swiss summit, to which it was not invited, as “meaningless.” Ukraine has struggled to see strong actions from international organisations like the UN, and Zelensky’s refusal to host Guterres reflects a growing frustration with the UN’s perceived leniency toward Russia.

Written by Sakinat Musa Abubakar, Editor at Neptune Prime 

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