President Vladimir Putin has met with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who came to Russia for the first time in over two years to attend the BRICS Summit in Kazan.
Putin spoke with Guterres behind closed doors on Thursday evening, the final day of the summit, which saw dozens of world leaders gather in Kazan to discuss the multipolar world order advocated by the group.
The Kremlin has yet to unveil the details of their discussion, but according to the UN chief’s office, Putin and Guterres addressed the crises in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as questions related to global development and the international financial system.
Earlier that day, Guterres addressed the wide-format BRICS Plus/Outreach panel hosted by the Russian leader, with numerous foreign dignitaries in attendance where he called for a “just peace” in Ukraine as well as an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.
”We need peace in Ukraine – a just peace in line with the UN Charter, international law, and the General Assembly resolution,” Guterres said. “We need peace in Gaza, with an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages,” he added.
Guterres also urged BRICS to function as a “global family” that works together to achieve common goals. In response, Putin remarked, “That’s how we live. Families, unfortunately, have disagreements, scandals, and divisions of property. They even fight at times.”
BRICS aims to lay the groundwork for cooperation and “create a good-spirited atmosphere in our common home,” Putin continued, vowing to engage with the United Nations to achieve that goal. He also stated that the UN should reform in order to keep pace with global changes and provide greater representation for developing nations, a proposal Guterres supported.
All BRICS countries are committed to resolving the Ukraine conflict peacefully and as quickly as possible, Putin said at a press conference on Thursday, expressing gratitude to his partners for seeking ways to address the situation.
The three-day BRICS Summit in Kazan was attended by high-level delegations from 36 nations, several international organizations, and the UN chief, who faced harsh criticism from Kiev for accepting Putin’s invitation. His spokesman argued that Guterres could not ignore a gathering of such significance, as the geopolitical bloc represents nearly half of the global population.