During the meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia’s Kazan, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres reaffirmed his position that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was in violation of the UN Charter and international law.
That’s according to a meeting readout released by the UN press service and seen by Ukrinform.
In addition, Guterres expressed his conviction that “establishing freedom of navigation in the Black Sea is of paramount importance for Ukraine, the Russian Federation and for the world’s food and energy security”.
The Office of the UN Secretary General noted that he fully supports the continuation of negotiations in this regard and expresses his deep appreciation for the work being done by Türkiye.
Guterres and Putin also discussed the situation in the Middle East, ” in particular the absolute need for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon,” as well as issues of economic development and international financial system.
As Ukrinform reported aerlier, Guterres spoke at the BRICS summit in Kazan on Thursday before holding a bilateral meeting with Putin.
In his address to the summit, he stated the need to achieve peace in Ukraine based on the UN Charter.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine criticized Guterres’s visit to the BRICS summit on Russian soil. As an official, he rejected Ukraine’s invitation to the inaugural Global Peace Summit in Switzerland, while accepting one from the war criminal Putin. According to MFA Ukraine, this is a wrong choice that does not contribute to the cause of peace, affecting the UN reputation.
Photo: JASON SZENES / EPA
Source: Guterres to Putin: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “violation of UN Charter”
