UN Secretary-General attends BRICS summit with Putin after skipping Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Kazan, Russia, for an unannounced visit to attend the three-day BRICS summit after declining an invitation to the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland.

Russian Presidential aide Yury Ushakov announced on 21 October that Putin would meet with Guterres on 24 October during the BRICS summit.

The summit brings together Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa leaders. It aims to foster cooperation among emerging markets and challenge Western-dominated institutions like the IMF and World Bank.

“Moscow’s ongoing military operation in Ukraine sets a dangerous precedent for the world,” Guterres previously said, consistently calling for a “just peace” that respects international law and Ukraine’s “territorial integrity.”

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on 21 October that Guterres declined Ukraine’s invitation to the first Global Peace Summit in Switzerland.

“This is a wrong choice that does not advance the cause of peace. It only damages the UN’s reputation,” Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs reports.

Russia aims to convince BRICS countries to build an alternative international payment platform resistant to Western sanctions.

The White House downplayed concerns about the gathering, stating that it does not consider the alliance “a threat.”

Western media outlets characterized the summit as “a signal to the West amid the war in Ukraine,” reports Voice of America.

According to Ushakov, Putin plans bilateral meetings with several leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The three-day meeting of the leaders of two dozen countries is the largest event Russia has hosted in recent years.

“China, Russia and Iran… together hope to create a more cohesive bloc to counter the West,” the News York Times reports.

The newspaper adds that Putin is also “determined to show the West that he is not alone and has important allies on his side.”

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