EU country demands resignation of UN chief
Lithuania's prime minister and foreign minister have voiced their disapproval of Antonio Guterres for his participation in the BRICS summit held in Kazan, Russia. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Lithuania has criticized UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for attending the BRICS Summit in Russia, with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis calling for his resignation, stating he has “lost credibility” due to his presence at the summit.
Landsbergis condemned Guterres for attending the event in Kazan while having previously skipped Ukraine’s ‘peace conference’ last summer, arguing this has compromised the UN chief's impartiality. He asserted that such actions revealed a bias, rendering Guterres’ role as a neutral global representative untenable.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte also expressed her disapproval of Guterres' attendance, labeling it “pathetic” and “incomprehensible.”
During the three-day event in Kazan, high-level delegations from 36 nations were present, and Guterres’ office highlighted the significance of the meeting, which represented nearly half of the world's population, for the UN's work.
The Ukrainian gathering, which focused on President Vladimir Zelensky’s “peace formula,” was held in June and notably did not include Russia. While Guterres declined an invitation to that meeting, a UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, noted that the organization was represented “at the appropriate level.”
In reaction to Guterres' participation in the BRICS summit, Landsbergis remarked that Guterres is “no longer accepted as an honest broker” concerning the resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, adding that if Guterres chooses to resign, Lithuania “would certainly not discourage him.”
“Guterres must admit he was wrong and take responsibility—for deciding not to attend the Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland and for going to see the wanted war criminal Putin and groveling with both him and his accomplice Lukashenko,” Landsbergis stated, as reported by local media.
Simonyte also criticized Guterres for his interactions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during the summit, calling it “pathetic.” She emphasized that there are individuals in international organizations and beyond who mistakenly believe they can engage with everyone, stating that Guterres’ behavior is “incomprehensible, to say the least.”
Guterres, who had not visited Russia in over two years, emphasized the importance of participating in the “outreach session of the Summit of BRICS that represents nearly half of the world’s population.” During his closing speech, he urged BRICS members to act as a “global family” towards shared objectives and advocated for a “just peace” in Ukraine, as well as an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.
Throughout the conference, he engaged in several bilateral meetings with various heads of state and discussed the ongoing crises in Ukraine and the Middle East in a closed-door session with President Putin.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
Landsbergis condemned Guterres for attending the event in Kazan while having previously skipped Ukraine’s ‘peace conference’ last summer, arguing this has compromised the UN chief's impartiality. He asserted that such actions revealed a bias, rendering Guterres’ role as a neutral global representative untenable.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte also expressed her disapproval of Guterres' attendance, labeling it “pathetic” and “incomprehensible.”
During the three-day event in Kazan, high-level delegations from 36 nations were present, and Guterres’ office highlighted the significance of the meeting, which represented nearly half of the world's population, for the UN's work.
The Ukrainian gathering, which focused on President Vladimir Zelensky’s “peace formula,” was held in June and notably did not include Russia. While Guterres declined an invitation to that meeting, a UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, noted that the organization was represented “at the appropriate level.”
In reaction to Guterres' participation in the BRICS summit, Landsbergis remarked that Guterres is “no longer accepted as an honest broker” concerning the resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, adding that if Guterres chooses to resign, Lithuania “would certainly not discourage him.”
“Guterres must admit he was wrong and take responsibility—for deciding not to attend the Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland and for going to see the wanted war criminal Putin and groveling with both him and his accomplice Lukashenko,” Landsbergis stated, as reported by local media.
Simonyte also criticized Guterres for his interactions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during the summit, calling it “pathetic.” She emphasized that there are individuals in international organizations and beyond who mistakenly believe they can engage with everyone, stating that Guterres’ behavior is “incomprehensible, to say the least.”
Guterres, who had not visited Russia in over two years, emphasized the importance of participating in the “outreach session of the Summit of BRICS that represents nearly half of the world’s population.” During his closing speech, he urged BRICS members to act as a “global family” towards shared objectives and advocated for a “just peace” in Ukraine, as well as an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.
Throughout the conference, he engaged in several bilateral meetings with various heads of state and discussed the ongoing crises in Ukraine and the Middle East in a closed-door session with President Putin.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
