Recent findings in classified leaked documents that were released online show the US believes that the UN Secretary General is overly accommodating to Russian interests.
The leaked documents imply that Washington has been paying close attention to Antonio Guterres.
In several documents, Mr. Guterres and his deputy are mentioned in private discussions.
It is the most recent from a leak of top-secret papers, whose cause US officials are trying to determine.
In the documents, Mr. Guterres makes open observations about the conflict in Ukraine and a number of African leaders.
One of the leaked documents focuses on the Black Sea grain agreement, which was negotiated in July after concerns about a worldwide food crisis by the UN and Turkey.
It implies that Mr. Guterres was willing to accommodate Russia’s interests because he wanted to keep the pact in place so badly.
The statement in the dossier reads, “Guterres stressed his efforts to boost Russia’s export capacity, even if that involves sanctioned Russian organizations or individuals.”
According to the evaluation, his actions in February “undermined wider efforts to hold Moscow accountable for its activities in Ukraine.”
The idea that the world’s top diplomat was being lenient toward Moscow inflamed UN officials.
One senior official refused to comment on the stolen documents but said the UN was “motivated by the need to mitigate the impact of the war on the world’s poorest.”
“That means doing what we can to drive down the price of food,” he added, “and to ensure that fertiliser is accessible to those countries that need it the most.”
Russia has frequently complained that its own exports of grain and fertiliser are being adversely affected by international sanctions, and has threatened at least twice to suspend co-operation with the grain deal unless its concerns are addressed.
Another document from mid-February describes a frank conversation between Mr Guterres and his deputy, Amina Mohammed.
In it, Mr Guterres expresses “dismay” at a call from the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, for Europe to produce more weapons and ammunition as a result of the war in Ukraine.
The two also talk about a recent summit of African leaders. Amina Mohammed says that Kenya’s president, William Ruto, is “ruthless” and that she “doesn’t trust him.”