Russian Foreign Ministry official criticizes UN Secretary-General Guterres
Kirill Logvinov claims Guterres has undermined trust in the UN through biased actions and overstepping authority
Quick Look
Russian Foreign Ministry official Kirill Logvinov accused UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of undermining trust in the UN through biased actions and overstepping his authority, stating these concerns will be raised at the UN General Assembly.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Antonio Guterres is the current UN Secretary-General, with his term set to expire on December 31, 2026. Russia has expressed ongoing dissatisfaction with UN leadership regarding the conflict in Ukraine.
MOSCOW, September 23. /TASS/. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s actions in office have seriously undermined trust in the global organization, Kirill Logvinov, Director of the Department of International Organizations at the Russian Foreign Ministry, told TASS ahead of the Russian delegation’s participation in the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Week. The delegation is led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Logvinov said he regretted that a scheduled meeting between Lavrov and the UN secretary-general in New York would focus not on a constructive exchange of views on pressing international issues, but on what he described as the shortcomings of Guterres’s tenure.
"The Portuguese official’s tenure will be remembered for frequent instances of overstepping his authority and a departure from adherence to the fundamental norms and principles of the UN Charter - principles the Secretary-General is meant to uphold," Logvinov said.
According to the Russian official, this has been reflected in what he called politically biased statements, practical steps taken without consulting member states, and reliance on decisions that lack broad-based support.
"Ultimately, his activities have seriously undermined trust in the UN," Logvinov said.
He added that these concerns had become particularly pronounced in the context of the Ukraine conflict and said the issue would also be raised at a UN Security Council meeting on September 23.
"Frankly speaking, one should not expect any change in the current head of the Secretariat’s approach. His conduct serves as a lesson to the contenders in the current race for the UN Secretary-General post on how NOT to behave. In fact, we stress this directly in our communications with all candidates," Logvinov said.
Guterres’s term as UN Secretary-General expires on December 31, 2026.
Open Questions
- How will the UN respond to these specific accusations?
- Will other member states support Russia's position?
