Guterres calls for peace in Russia for the Middle East and Ukraine
Published: Thursday, Oct 24th 2024, 15:00
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At the Brics summit in the Russian city of Kazan, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for peace for the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, but also for Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia.
"We need peace in Ukraine. A just peace, in accordance with the UN Charter, international law and the resolutions of the UN General Assembly," he emphasized. International law provides for the territorial inviolability of states, and the General Assembly had called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. Russia claims large areas of Ukraine for itself.
The UN Secretary-General's trip to Russia is controversial. The Portuguese was sharply criticized in the Western press for travelling to Kazan, while he had previously only been connected via video at the Lebanon conference in Paris, for example. He was also absent from the peace conference for Ukraine in Switzerland in June. The London daily newspaper "The Times" therefore characterized Guterres' trip as courting Putin.
The UN Secretary-General's office responded to the accusations by stating that the UN Secretary-General had also attended Brics meetings in the past. The organization is so important internationally that it cannot be neglected. It was also necessary to repeat the demands for a just peace for Ukraine in Russia.
Putin's mocking reply
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin was unimpressed by the UN Secretary-General's speech. He mockingly countered his formulation that the world could only solve its problems together as a "global family". The world already lives like a family. "Unfortunately, families often have quarrels, scandals and disputes over property. Sometimes it comes to blows," said Putin.
Brics is an association of states named after its first members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It now also includes Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates. More than 20 heads of state and government, mainly from Africa, Asia and Latin America, have traveled to the summit.
©Keystone/SDA
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