UN Chief, António Guterres, visited Ukraine and met with President Zelenskyy

02-05-2022

Manon Picard

International Justice and Human Rights Researcher, 

Global Human Rights Defence.

The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, visited Kyiv, Bucha and Irpin on the 28th of April 2022 alongside the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During his visit and, at a later stage, his speech, Mr. Guterres condemned the “evil” acts committed by the Russian Federation and demanded criminal accountability for such actions. 

The United Nations’ Chief calls for justice regarding Russia’s unlawful actions in Ukraine and against civilians. Mr. Guterres, following his visit in Bucha stated the “horrendous site” made him feel “how important it is [to have] a thorough investigation and accountability”. In order to achieve criminal accountability, António Guterres gave his full support to the International Criminal Court and “appeal[ed] to the Russian Federation to accept to cooperate with the International Criminal Court”. 

In addition, the United Nations Secretary-General also spoke during his visit and vowed to increase support for Ukraine and its population to “reduce suffering and help find the path of peace”. Mr. Guterres reiterated the need to end the war and re-establish peace as established by the United Nations Charter. Moreover, the UN Chief made the following statement: 

“I want the Ukrainian people to know that the world sees you, hears you, and is in awe of your resilience and resolve. […] I also know that words of solidarity are not enough. I am here to zero in on needs on the ground and scale up operations. […] I am here to say to you, Mr. President, and to the people of Ukraine: We will not give up”. 

The Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine is ongoing without any signs of peace resolution. Russia went so far as to target the city of Kyiv with two missiles on the day of Mr. Guterres’ visit. Although the UN Chief and his other staff members remained unharmed, the attack killed one person and wounded ten others. As António Guterres stated, “the war is an absurdity in the 21st century. The war is evil”.

Sources and further reading:

United Nations. (2022, April 28). ‘The world sees you’ UN chief Tells Ukrainians, Pledging to Boost Support. UN News.  Retrieved on May 2, 2022, from https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/04/1117202

United Nations. (2022, April 28). Guterres in Ukraine: War is ‘evil’ and Unacceptable, Calls for Justice. UN News.  Retrieved on May 2, 2022, from https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/04/1117132

AlJazeera. (2022, April 29). Putin’s ‘middle finger’ to the UN sends clear message to the West. AlJazeera News. Retrieved on May 2, 2022, from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/29/putins-middle-finger-to-the-un-sends-clear-message-to-the-west