Anger at the Russian presidency of the Security Council

Russia assumed the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council. Selinsky sees in this “the complete bankruptcy of such institutions.” The European Union wants to protect the body from “any abuse” by Moscow.

Accompanied by heavy criticism and urgent warnings, Russia took over the month-long rotating presidency of the UN Security Council on Saturday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the operation as evidence of the “bankruptcy” of international institutions. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced on Sunday that the EU would protect the Security Council from “any violation” by Russia.

The presidency of the UN Security Council rotates monthly, with the fifteen member states rotating in alphabetical order. It was Russia’s turn in April.

“Terrorists should not head anywhere”

“It is difficult to imagine anything (more clearly) proving the complete bankruptcy of such institutions,” Zelensky said in his nightly video message to the Ukrainian people. There is no “form of terrorism that Russia has not yet practiced.” The Ukrainian president has said that reform of global institutions, including the United Nations Security Council, is “overdue”. Terrorists must lose, they must take responsibility for terrorism and they must not preside anywhere.”

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had earlier described the Russian presidency of the UN Security Council as “a slap in the face of the international community.” And at the start of Russia’s presidency on Saturday, Kuleba urged Security Council members to “thwart any Russian attempt to exploit its presidency.”

The European Union protects from “any abuse” by Moscow

Borrell stressed that the European Union will resist “any violation” of the Security Council by the Moscow presidency. “Despite its permanent membership in the Security Council, Russia repeatedly violates the principles of the UN legal system,” the EU foreign policy representative wrote on Twitter.

Moscow has announced in the past few days that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will chair the Security Council meeting on “effective multilateralism” in April. Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also said Lavrov would chair a discussion on the Middle East on April 25.

The United States has previously criticized Russia’s role and permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. White House spokeswoman Karen Jean-Pierre said recently that “a country that shamelessly violates the UN Charter and attacks its neighbor has no place in the UN Security Council.” “Unfortunately” Russia is a permanent member of the body and there is no “viable international legal process” to change this.

(APA / AFP)