The UN secretary general has told Vladimir Putin that “a just peace” is needed to end the Ukraine war.
Appearing alongside Mr Putin at a BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan, Antonio Guterres called on the Russian leader to agree a peace deal “in line with the UN Charter, international law and UN General Assembly resolutions”.
It comes after President Xi Jinping claimed on Wednesday that China and fellow BRICS member Brazil both have peace plans for the war in Ukraine.
He told Mr Putin and other leaders at the three-day summit that they intend to rally further international support in the hope of bringing fighting there to an end.
Mr Xi said: “We must uphold the three key principles: no expansion of the battlefields, no escalation of hostilities, and no fanning flames and strive for swift de-escalation of the situation.”
The BRIC coalition formed in 2009, bringing together Brazil, Russia, India, and China. South Africa joined the following year, changing the name to BRICS.
It was largely disregarded at first – but it has since grown in both membership and influence with Russia’s war in Ukraine and Iran’s involvement in the wars in Gaza, Israel, and Lebanon dominating global geopolitics.
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Speaking on Thursday, Mr Guterres also called for peace in the conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, and Sudan.
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