Kyiv: ukraine branded saturday Russiapresidency of the united nations security Council “A slap in the face” for the month of April, joining the chorus of western indignation.
Moscow assumes the presidency as part of its monthly rotation among the 15 member states of the Security Council, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, at its lowest point with the West since the Cold War.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia’s term of rotating presidency of the body was “a slap in the face of the international community”.
“I urge the current members of the UNSC to thwart any Russian attempt to abuse my presidency,” he said on Twitter, calling Russia “an outlaw on the UNSC”.
Moscow last chaired the council in February 2022 – the same month it invaded Ukraine.
Russia will have little influence on decisions but will be in charge of the agenda.
Moscow has called the foreign minister sergei lavrov Plans to chair a UN Security Council meeting on “effective multilateralism” later this month.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova It also said that Lavrov would lead a debate on the Middle East on 25 April.
Ukraine has demanded the removal of Russia from the Security Council.
‘Insecurity Council’
The United States has also criticized Russia’s membership of the Security Council and its status as a permanent member.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre previously said, “A country that openly violates the UN Charter and attacks its neighbor has no place on the UN Security Council.”
“Unfortunately Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council and there exists no viable international legal way to change that reality,” he said, calling the presidency “a largely ceremonial position.”
The Baltic states also expressed their concern on Saturday.
Estonia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations said in a statement on Twitter that it was “shameful and disrespectful” to the UN Security Council that Russia should be its president.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis mockingly congratulated Russia on assuming the presidency.
“Looking forward to some energetic discussions on Ukraine’s proposal for the destination of its warships,” he wrote.
The Strategic Communications Division of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry tweeted that “this presidency is a #BadRussyJoke”, adding that it was appropriate that Moscow should assume the role on “April Fool’s Day”.
“Russia, waging a brutal war against Ukraine, can only lead the Security Council,” it said.
In an interview with AFP on Thursday, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said she expected Russia to behave “professionally” in the presidency, but expressed skepticism.
“We also expect that they will also look for opportunities to further their disinformation campaign against Ukraine, the United States, and all of our allies.”
“At every opportunity, we will raise our concerns about Russia’s actions,” he said, reiterating Washington’s condemnation of Moscow’s “war crimes and human rights violations” in Ukraine.
Moscow assumes the presidency as part of its monthly rotation among the 15 member states of the Security Council, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, at its lowest point with the West since the Cold War.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia’s term of rotating presidency of the body was “a slap in the face of the international community”.
“I urge the current members of the UNSC to thwart any Russian attempt to abuse my presidency,” he said on Twitter, calling Russia “an outlaw on the UNSC”.
Moscow last chaired the council in February 2022 – the same month it invaded Ukraine.
Russia will have little influence on decisions but will be in charge of the agenda.
Moscow has called the foreign minister sergei lavrov Plans to chair a UN Security Council meeting on “effective multilateralism” later this month.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova It also said that Lavrov would lead a debate on the Middle East on 25 April.
Ukraine has demanded the removal of Russia from the Security Council.
‘Insecurity Council’
The United States has also criticized Russia’s membership of the Security Council and its status as a permanent member.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre previously said, “A country that openly violates the UN Charter and attacks its neighbor has no place on the UN Security Council.”
“Unfortunately Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council and there exists no viable international legal way to change that reality,” he said, calling the presidency “a largely ceremonial position.”
The Baltic states also expressed their concern on Saturday.
Estonia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations said in a statement on Twitter that it was “shameful and disrespectful” to the UN Security Council that Russia should be its president.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis mockingly congratulated Russia on assuming the presidency.
“Looking forward to some energetic discussions on Ukraine’s proposal for the destination of its warships,” he wrote.
The Strategic Communications Division of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry tweeted that “this presidency is a #BadRussyJoke”, adding that it was appropriate that Moscow should assume the role on “April Fool’s Day”.
“Russia, waging a brutal war against Ukraine, can only lead the Security Council,” it said.
In an interview with AFP on Thursday, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said she expected Russia to behave “professionally” in the presidency, but expressed skepticism.
“We also expect that they will also look for opportunities to further their disinformation campaign against Ukraine, the United States, and all of our allies.”
“At every opportunity, we will raise our concerns about Russia’s actions,” he said, reiterating Washington’s condemnation of Moscow’s “war crimes and human rights violations” in Ukraine.