Russia, BRICS summit. UN chief appeals for a “just peace”. From the Putin-led summit in Russia

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The annual summit of the BRICS countries takes place in Kazan, Russia. In an event chaired by Vladimir Putin over 20 leaders are taking part, including the president China Xi JinpingPrime Minister India Narendra Modi and president Iran Masoud Pezeshkian. The event was attended by representatives of countries associated in this format, but also those aspiring to become part of it.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also attended the summit. On Thursday, speaking at a large table in the presence of state leaders, he argued that “we need peace in Ukraine.” – A just peace, consistent with the Charter of the United Nations, international law and resolutions of the General Assembly of the United Nations – he pointed out.

He also called for an immediate cessation of military operations in the Gaza Strip Lebanon and spoke about the need for peace in Sudan.

At a joint forum in the presence of Guterres, Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkan expressed regret at the ineffectiveness of international institutions, especially the UN, in “extinguishing the fire” in the Middle East.

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As AFP emphasizes, the appeals for peace coming from Kazan do not meet the expectations of the European Union, which called on the leaders of the BRICS countries to pressure Putin to “immediately put an end to the war he is waging against the Ukrainian nation.”

Kyiv was critical of Guterres' participation in the summit. “The UN Secretary General rejected Ukraine's invitation to the first Global Peace Summit in Switzerland. However, he accepted an invitation to Kazan from the war criminal Putin. This is a bad choice that is not conducive to the cause of peace. It only damages the reputation of the UN,” said the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ukraine Andriy Sybiha in an entry posted on the X platform. The summit organized by Ukraine, mentioned by the minister, took place in June.

The secretary-general's spokesman explained that his trip to Russia “is part of the UN chief's regular participation in international initiatives in which many important countries participate.” He added that “it is also an opportunity to confirm Guterres' well-known position on the conflict in Ukraine and the conditions for a just peace.”

By organizing the summit in Kazan, Putin wanted to prove the failure of the Western policy of sanctions and isolating his country, especially with regard to the countries of the Global South, and also to demonstrate the will to end the alleged “hegemony” of the West in global diplomatic relations in favor of a “multipolar world”, AFP assessed.

BRICS, after its expansion in January 2024, has nine members – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and United Arab Emirates. Türkiye, which belongs to NATO, applied to join the organization in September.

READ MORE ABOUT THE SUMMIT AND THE HISTORY OF THE BRICS FORMAT >>>

The official goals of the BRICS existence include, among others: creation of a new monetary system and reform of the UN. Currently, the organization brings together countries whose combined income exceeds one third of global GDP and are inhabited by 45 percent of the Earth's population. In 2020, the GDP of the BRICS countries exceeded the same indicator of the G7 countries.

BRICS is the founder of the New Development Bank based in Shanghai. The basic tasks of this institution – according to official assumptions – include, among others: supporting sustainable development and infrastructure investments in developing countries.