How UN chief Antonio Guterres tests the limits of quiet diplomacy

The senior statesmanOn taking the reins as UN Secretary-General, Guterres pledged “a surge in diplomacy for peace”. In practice, of course, this was far easier said than done.Like at the UNHCR, Guterres implemented institutional reforms as UN chief and his early years were shaped by protracted wars in Syria and Yemen, the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, the renewed conflict in Libya, the anti-multilateralist approach of Donald Trump’s first presidential term and the pandemic. Security Council divisions, however, limited what he could achieve when it came to the biggest conflicts.Then, on February 24, 2022, Ukrainians and Russians awoke to news that their countries were in a full-scale war. Russian tanks rolled over Ukraine’s eastern frontier while terrified civilians sought shelter in Kyiv’s Metro.The UN Security Council convened and Guterres condemned the invasion. “In the name of humanity, bring your troops back to Russia,” he implored President Vladimir Putin, who ignored the plea.On April 26 , Guterres met with Putin to discuss evacuation routes from besieged areas, such as the city of Mariupol, and later that week he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Guterres’s diplomacy...