Putin warns against 'illusory' attempts to defeat Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday against "illusory" attempts to defeat Russia on the battlefield ahead of his first meeting with United Nations chief Antonio Guterres in more than two years for talks set to focus on the conflict in Ukraine.

Putin was speaking in the Russian city of Kazan on the final day of the BRICS summit, a forum Moscow hopes will help forge a united front of emerging economies against the West.

Russia's opponents "do not conceal their aim to deal our country a strategic defeat", Putin said.

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Shortly before he spoke, Russia's lower house of parliament voted to ratify a defence pact with North Korea amid reports that Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to Russia for training and possible deployment in Ukraine.

At the meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping also warned about "serious challenges" in the world and said he hoped BRICS countries could be a "stabilising force for peace".

"We need to continue to push for a ceasefire in Gaza, relaunch the two-state solution and stop the spread of war in Lebanon. There should be no more suffering and destruction in Palestine and Lebanon," Xi said.

Putin said the Middle East was "on the verge of full-scale war".

Putin has faced calls from his BRICS allies to end the Ukraine conflict, which began when Moscow launched a full-scale military campaign in February 2022.

Guterres has repeatedly criticised Moscow's military offensive against Ukraine, saying it sets a "dangerous precedent" for the world.

The two men last saw each other in the first weeks of the offensive, when Guterres travelled to Moscow during Russia's siege of Mariupol in south Ukraine.

Guterres has since been involved in peace efforts between the two sides, helping to broker a deal that allowed Kyiv to safely export grain from its ports in 2022.

There has been little direct diplomatic contact between the two countries since.

'No place in modern world'

Ukraine has strongly criticised the UN chief's decision to meet Putin.

Putin has demanded Ukraine surrender territory in its south and east as a precondition for a ceasefire, a position Kyiv has called "absurd".

The Putin-Guterres talks come as Moscow's troops advance in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, edging closer to the key supply hub of Pokrovsk.

UN spokesman Farhan Haq said Guterres would use the meeting with Putin to "reaffirm his well-known positions on the war in Ukraine".

Haq said the UN leader was on standby to offer mediation but was waiting for when "the conditions are right".

"Obviously he stands ready, when the parties are willing, to offer his services. He will continue to monitor and see when the situation is right."

Ukraine has condemned Guterres's Russia visit, with Kyiv's foreign ministry blasting him for planning to meet the "criminal Putin".

Guterres has criticised Moscow's annexation of Ukrainian territory, saying it has "no place in the modern world".

He has visited areas where the Russian army has been accused of atrocities in Ukraine and repeatedly called for a "just peace".

The meeting comes a day after the United States said it believed "thousands" of North Korean soldiers were being trained in Russia.

"We don't know what their mission will be or if they'll go on to fight in Ukraine," a senior US official said.

Putin has not yet commented on the reports.

Russia on Wednesday said people should "ask Pyongyang" about troop movements, refusing to confirm or deny the allegations.

'Mutual assistance'

Russian lawmakers on Thursday voted unanimously to ratify a defence treaty with North Korea that provides for "mutual assistance" if either party faces aggression.

The document has now been sent for approval by the upper Federation Council.

Pyongyang and Moscow have drawn closer since Russia launched its 2022 offensive on Ukraine, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praising Putin as his country's "dearest friend".

The West believes North Korea is already giving Moscow weapons to use in its Ukraine offensive.

Several world leaders called for an end to the Ukraine conflict at the BRICS summit.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- who has also tried to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv -- said on Tuesday he wanted the conflict to be resolved "peacefully".

"We totally support efforts to quickly restore peace and stability," he said.

New Delhi has walked a delicate tightrope since Moscow launched its offensive, pledging humanitarian support for Kyiv while avoiding explicit condemnation of Moscow's actions.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has also urged an end to the conflict.

Starting in 2009 with four members -- Brazil, Russia, India and China -- BRICS has expanded to include other emerging nations, including South Africa, Egypt and Iran.