Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized U.N. Secretary General António Guterres for meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on United Nations Day. Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of upholding the U.N. Charter's goals and principles, despite some officials prioritizing other interests. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, where authoritarian leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa gathered to strengthen economic partnerships.
Russia, China, Iran, and potentially North Korea, all part of BRICS, are known adversaries of the West and are involved in conflicts that violate international law, including Russia's war in Ukraine. The decision to meet with Putin amid the ongoing conflict sparked outrage in Ukraine, with concerns raised about the U.N.'s credibility.
