Ukraine has labeled Russia’s presidency of the UN Safety Council for April as “a symbolic blow”, becoming a member of a refrain of concern from Western nations.
Moscow assumes the presidency as a part of its month-to-month rotation among the many 15 member states of the Safety Council, with ties with the West at their lowest for the reason that Chilly Warfare following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president’s chief of employees, known as Russia’s appointment a “symbolic blow”.
“It is not only a pity. It’s one other symbolic blow to the rules-based system of worldwide relations,” he wrote on Twitter.
Ukrainian Overseas Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated Russia’s acceptance as president was “a slap within the face to the worldwide neighborhood”.
“I urge the present members of the UN Safety Council to thwart any and all Russian makes an attempt to abuse his presidency,” he wrote on Twitter on Saturday, calling Russia “an outlaw of the UN Safety Council.”
Moscow final chaired the council in February 2022, the identical month it invaded Ukraine – prompting Kiev to name for Russia to be faraway from the council.
Russia can have little affect on selections, however might be accountable for the agenda.
Moscow has stated Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov plans to chair a UN Safety Council assembly this month on “efficient multilateralism”.
Russian Overseas Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova additionally stated Lavrov would lead a debate on the Center East on April 25.
The Kremlin stated on Friday it meant to “train all its rights” within the function.
Worldwide Criticism
Washington additionally criticized Russia’s membership of the Safety Council and its standing as a everlasting member.
The White Home urged Russia to “behave professionally” when taking up the function, saying there have been no means to bar Moscow from the publish.
“A rustic that flagrantly violates the UN Constitution and invades its neighbor has no place on the UN Safety Council,” White Home spokesman Karine Jean-Pierre stated Friday.
“Sadly, Russia is a everlasting member of the Safety Council and there’s no viable worldwide authorized avenue to vary that actuality,” she added, calling the presidency “a largely ceremonial place.”
The Baltic States additionally expressed their concern.
Estonian UN envoy Rein Tammsaar, who additionally spoke on behalf of Latvia and Lithuania, warned the Safety Council on Friday because it met to debate Russia’s plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus.
“Is not it vital that tomorrow, on the anniversary of the Bucha murders, Russia will assume the presidency of the UN Safety Council?
“That is embarrassing, humiliating and harmful to the credibility and efficient functioning of this physique,” he stated.
Lithuanian Overseas Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis mockingly congratulated Russia on assuming the presidency.
“I sit up for energetic discussions on Ukraine’s proposal for the vacation spot of your warships,” he wrote on Saturday.
The Lithuanian Overseas Ministry’s strategic communications division, in the meantime, tweeted that “Russia, waging a ruthless battle towards Ukraine, can solely lead #InsecurityCouncil.”
In an interview with AFP information company on Thursday, US UN ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated she anticipated Russia to behave “professionally” in the course of the presidency, however expressed doubts.
“We additionally count on that they can even search for alternatives to advance their disinformation marketing campaign towards Ukraine, america and all our allies,” she stated.
“At each alternative we’ll specific our concern about Russia’s actions,” she added, reiterating Washington’s condemnation of Moscow’s “battle crimes and human rights violations” in Ukraine.
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