Ukraine called Russia’s April presidency of the UN Security Council “a symbolic coup,” joining a chorus of outrage from Western countries.
Moscow assumes the presidency as part of its monthly rotation among the Security Council’s 15 member states, with ties with the West at their lowest since the Cold War over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, said the Russian mandate was a “symbolic coup.”
“It’s not just a shame. It is another symbolic blow to the rules-based system of international relations,” she wrote on Twitter.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia’s assumption of the presidency was “a slap in the face to the international community.”
“I urge the current members of the United Nations Security Council to thwart any Russian attempts to abuse their presidency,” he wrote on Twitter on Saturday, calling Russia a “UN Security Council outlaw.” .
Moscow last presided over the council in February 2022, the same month invaded Ukraine – prompting Kyiv to call for Russia’s removal from the council.
Russia will have little influence on decisions but will be in charge of the agenda.
Moscow has said that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov plans to chair a UN Security Council meeting this month on “effective multilateralism.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also said Lavrov would lead a debate on the Middle East on April 25.
The Kremlin said on Friday that it planned to “exercise all its rights” in office.
international criticism
Washington also criticized Russia’s membership in the Security Council and its status as a permanent member.
The White House urged Russia to “behave professionally” when it takes office, saying there was no way to block Moscow from the post.
“A country that flagrantly violates the UN Charter and invades its neighbor has no place on the UN Security Council,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday.
“Unfortunately, Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council and there is no feasible international legal path to change that reality,” he added, calling the presidency “a largely ceremonial position.”
The Baltic states also expressed concern.
Estonia’s UN envoy Rein Tammsaar, also speaking on behalf of Latvia and Lithuania, warned the Security Council on Friday when it met to discuss Russia’s plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus.
“Isn’t it revealing that tomorrow, on the anniversary of the Bucha murders, Russia assumes the presidency of the UN Security Council?
“This is shameful, humiliating and dangerous for the credibility and effective functioning of this body,” he said.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis mockingly congratulated Russia on assuming the presidency.
“I look forward to some spirited discussions on Ukraine’s proposal for the fate of its warships,” he wrote on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the strategic communications division of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry tweeted that “Russia, waging a brutal war against Ukraine, can only lead the #InsecurityCouncil.”
In an interview with the AFP news agency on Thursday, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she expected Russia to conduct itself “professionally” in the presidency, but expressed doubts.
“We also hope that they will also look for opportunities to advance their disinformation campaign against Ukraine, the United States and all of our allies,” he said.
“At every opportunity, we will raise our concerns about Russia’s actions,” he added, reiterating Washington’s condemnation of Moscow’s “war crimes and human rights violations” in Ukraine.
