Zelenskyy rejects UN chief’s visit over Russia trip, report claims

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the UN secretary general’s visit to the country because of his trip to Russia, AFP news agency reported on Friday, citing a source in Zelenskyy’s office.

Antonio Guterres’ trip drew fire from Kyiv because the UN chief refused to participate in Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula summit only to accept the Kremlin’s invitation to Kazan earlier this week to attend BRICS.

Following his meeting with Vladimir Putin at the BRICS summit, Guterres’ press service said that the UN chief “reiterated his position that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was in violation of the United Nations Charter and international law.”  

Zelenskyy has since criticised Guterres’ BRICS trip without naming him.

“Even though some of its officials may choose the temptations of Kazan over the substance of the UN charter, the world remains structured in such a way that the rights of nations and the norms of international law will always matter,” the Ukrainian leader said in his evening address on Thursday.

“I am grateful to everyone who supports Ukraine in this.” 

While speaking at the UN Security Council last month, Zelenskyy said Moscow should be “forced” into peace based on the UN charter.

He labelled Russia’s war “insane” and added that Kyiv reportedly has information that the Kremlin plans to target three nuclear plants in Ukraine.

“From very first seconds of this war, Russia has been doing things that cannot be justified under the UN charter,” such as “killing children” in Ukraine, Zelenskyy explained.

“This war cannot simply fade away, it cannot end by talks, action is needed,” he said, calling on the BRICS countries to be part of the peace efforts.