The decision by the Portuguese UN Secretary General António Guterres to attend a summit hosted by Vladimir Putin has met with criticism from Ukraine and its allies.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Russia on Wednesday to attend this week’s BRICS summit, his first visit to the country in more than two years. Russia is hosting the three-day summit in the Tatarstan capital of Kazan,

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres arrived in Russia on Wednesday to attend the BRICS summit, his first visit to the country for more than two years that has drawn scorn from Ukraine. "The UN Secretary General declined Ukraine's invitation to the first Global Peace Summit in Switzerland.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has arrived in Kazan, Russia, on the first day of the three-day BRICS summit for an unannounced visit. Source: Voice of America, Radio Liberty Details: Earlier, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry criticised the idea of such a visit: "The UN Secretary-General rejected Ukraine's invitation to the first Global Peace

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry blasted U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday for what it said was his acceptance of an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to a BRICS summit, while staying away from a "peace summit" on the war in Ukraine.

Russia is likely to use the BRICS summit as an opportunity to establish mechanisms that could bolster its military efforts in Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). According to ISW,

On Thursday, Putin is set to meet with Guterres, who will be making his first visit to Russia in more than two years. Guterres has repeatedly criticized Russia’s action in Ukraine.

Russia wants the BRICS summit to showcase the rising clout of the non-Western world, but Moscow's partners from China, India, Brazil and the Arab world are urging President Vladimir Putin to find a way to end the war in Ukraine.