Moscow, Feb 23, (dpa/GNA) – Russia has sharply criticized statements by UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, on the situation in embattled eastern Ukraine.

“To our great regret, Guterres bowed to pressure from the West and made several statements on the events in eastern Ukraine that do not correspond to his status and powers under the UN Charter,” Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said on Wednesday.

Guterres has to maintain neutrality and is “always obliged to advocate direct dialogue between conflict states,” Lavrov said.

Guterres had condemned Russia on Tuesday for the escalation in the Ukraine conflict and called for respect for international law.

“When troops of one country enter the territory of another country without its consent, they are not impartial peacekeepers, they are not peacekeepers at all,” Guterres said in New York in a rare open criticism of a UN veto power.

GNA

Moscow, Feb 23, (dpa/GNA) – Russia has sharply criticized statements by UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, on the situation in embattled eastern Ukraine.

“To our great regret, Guterres bowed to pressure from the West and made several statements on the events in eastern Ukraine that do not correspond to his status and powers under the UN Charter,” Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said on Wednesday.

Guterres has to maintain neutrality and is “always obliged to advocate direct dialogue between conflict states,” Lavrov said.

Guterres had condemned Russia on Tuesday for the escalation in the Ukraine conflict and called for respect for international law.

“When troops of one country enter the territory of another country without its consent, they are not impartial peacekeepers, they are not peacekeepers at all,” Guterres said in New York in a rare open criticism of a UN veto power.

GNA