Amidst its growing international isolation, Vladimir Putin—who seldom receives invitations abroad—is putting exceptional effort into preparing for the upcoming BRICS summit, set to take place in Kazan from October 22 to 24. The capital of Tatarstan will host not only the leaders of the BRICS member states but also several invited guests. According to Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian president, representatives from 32 countries will participate in the summit, with 24 of them being led by heads of state.
Among the notable attendees is a particularly special guest—United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres—whom the Kremlin is already preparing to welcome warmly. Although the UN Secretary-General’s office has refrained from commenting on the upcoming visit, Guterres’ attendance was announced by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin and later confirmed by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
It seems unlikely that Guterres fully grasps the risks associated with his participation in the BRICS summit. His own reputation, as well as the image of the organization he represents, appears to be of little concern to him now.
For the Kremlin, the summit in Kazan serves as a stage where Putin seeks to prove he is not isolated on the global stage. It’s a venue where he aims to rally Global South nations around Russia, attempting, alongside Xi Jinping, to forge an anti-Western alliance.
At the BRICS summit in Kazan, Putin also plans to push an alternative “peace plan” to address the “Ukrainian crisis,” one championed by China and Brazil as a counterweight to Ukraine’s own proposals. His goal is to weaken the already fragile support for Ukraine among Global South countries and undermine Kyiv’s efforts to hold a second peace summit.
The UN Secretary-General’s visit to Russia—a country threatening global stability with nuclear weapons—represents a blatant disregard for the victims of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It provides Moscow with fresh talking points in its dialogue with the Global South and is a gift to Putin, who seeks to dismantle the existing world order and undermine international law by asserting a doctrine of power and force.
Guterres’ presence in Kazan will offer the Kremlin not just a favorable media backdrop for the BRICS summit but also a strategic advantage. Many BRICS members are eager to transform the bloc into an anti-Western alliance, and Guterres’ visit could allow Russian propaganda to claim that the UN backs the China-Brazil peace initiative for resolving the “Ukrainian crisis.”
While this plan includes appealing language about “respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the principles of the UN Charter,” in reality, it does not provide for any of these. Nor does it hold Russia accountable or offer compensation for the devastation in Ukraine. Beneath the six points of the plan lies a strategy to freeze the conflict, stripping Ukraine of the right to reclaim territory occupied by Russia.
The United Nations is currently facing a significant crisis, and António Guterres’ credibility has been undermined, both by his stance during the Russia-Ukraine war and his response to events in the Middle East. After failing to unequivocally condemn Iran’s recent missile strike on Israel, Tel Aviv declared the UN Secretary-General a persona non grata.
When considering that Guterres did not attend the Peace Summit organized in Switzerland, his decision to visit Russia stands out as a glaring show of favor toward the Kremlin.
This isn’t the first instance of such alignment. Earlier, Guterres showed a strong interest in reviving the grain deal with Russia, even to the point of accommodating Moscow’s demands. Specifically, he proposed lifting EU financial sanctions on the Russian Agricultural Bank (owned by the son of Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev) by using a specially created subsidiary of the bank. He also suggested insuring Russian vessels against Ukrainian attacks while ensuring safe passage for Russian ships carrying food and fertilizer to EU ports.
These proposals effectively nullified several international sanctions against Russia. Guterres justified his eagerness to restore the grain deal by citing the need to avert a global food crisis. However, as the U.S. pointed out, Guterres’ actions “undermined broader efforts to hold Moscow accountable for its actions in Ukraine.”
Even if Guterres travels to Kazan with the aim of achieving a just peace in Ukraine, Russian propaganda will undoubtedly portray his visit in a light favorable to Putin, both within Russia and in Global South nations. As a result, Guterres’ participation in the BRICS summit risks not only damaging his personal credibility but also that of the UN itself.
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